Every Human Being Prayer

  "When our hearts beat with Christ's heart, we see the whole world differently. We see every human being differently. We look into the womb of every mother and see the image of the Son of God...the word made flesh. Everything is invested with the Light, the Light which is the Christ the Light which shines in the darkness." John Cardinal O'Connor  

Christ, give me a heart to love unconditionally.

To love my neighbors, to love my enemies and to love myself. 

Give me eyes to see the world differently. 

Help me notice the good rather than the bad. 

I desire to walk in your light and to shine through the darkness.

My heart wants to be in rhythm with yours! 

"Through him was life, and was the light of the human race. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome," John 1:4-5 

Get Up

"St. Joseph heard "Get up," and his immediate response was to surrender and trust that God was leading him." Sr. Marie Andre, O.C.D. 

I wish that was my response to the words, "Get up."

In all seriousness though, St. Joseph was a man of faith. 

He did not question God's plan, like I often do. 

Rather he got up the courage to trust and to surrender. 

I need to work on my immediate response to respond as St. Joseph did. 

My prayer is to trust and to allow God to lead me. 

St. Joseph, help me find courage to "get up" and to listen for God's voice.

Amen. 

"St. Joseph has the power to assist us in all causes, in every necessity, in every undertaking." St. Thomas Aquinas  

Be Still

 Be still and know that the Lord is in control... 

Be still my soul... 

Be still my heart and know... 

I won't be afraid...

Be still and trust.

The song "Be Still" by Hillsong speaks to my heart. 

I have been thinking about this song all week but especially today. 

I need to be reminded, "Be still."

Those words give me peace.

God is reminding us to be not afraid and that He's got this. 

He is asking us to trust Him. 

Whatever is troubling you, whatever is weighing on your heart, whatever is making you feel restless...

Rest in the Lord by being still. 

All will be well.

"May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be." St. Therese of Liseux   

"Be Still" song/lyrics: 

https://youtu.be/34Zd6QdIl0M

Taste and See

 "When you walk in My truth, you will become the salt that causes others to thirst for Me." 

(His Princess Warrior, Love Letters for strength from the Lord)

Too much salt is considered bad but not in this case.

Salt is actually good! 

We are called to be salt in a world that has become tasteless.

Without salt we too will lose our flavor. 

We are called to spread the truth! 

The goodness of the Lord!

We are called to be salt sprinkled every where we go!

Whether it be a smile, a compliment or a good deed, let the world taste and see the goodness of the Lord! 

"Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear." St. Catherine of Sienna  

Understand Love

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:15). 

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Galatians 4:6   

We are His own!

It has been on my heart to share these verses with you today. 

Recently I attended adoration with the confirmation class. During adoration I prayed for the gift of understanding. 

There is so much I do not understand but want to understand. 

  These verses not only remind me that I am loved but that I have the Holy Spirit to show me that love. 

"We need to listen to the Holy Spirit, because we forget who we are. We forget that God is our Father. We forget that that is enough. We forget that the Father loves us with the same love with which he loves his eternal Son." 33 Days to Greater Glory 

It's easy to forget that we are lovable.

But God knew that we would forget, so He sent His Spirit to remind us of his love and to help us understand that nothing will change his love for us.  

Holy Spirit, help me to understand who, what and where I am. 

Help me to forget what I am not. 

Help me to understand the truth and to live out the truth, that we are His sons and daughters! 

 Holy Spirit, help us understand YOU are love. 

Take it Slow

 "No one has ever become poor by giving." Anne Frank 

I have been pondering these past few days what I am going to do for Project Ransom.

Fasting is challenging, to say the least.

What can I fast from that won't make me sick or grouchy? 

Will I give up quickly after I started?   

I can't compare myself to what other people do and give up.

My body is different for health reasons. 

However, I don't want that to keep me from giving.

So, as I am writing, I think I have found my answer. 

Instead of picking one thing for a whole year, I am going to pick one thing to abstain from each day.

One day a week it might be refraining from soda and another day it it might be less time on my phone. 

It's easy to fail when we are too overwhelmed by what we don't think we can do.

I am going to take this "fast" slow. 

One day at a time.

Fast, give alms, and pray. 

Sign up and do what you can for Project Ransom! 

For who? 

The unborn.

They are worth every gift and prayer I have to offer!  

 "Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness." St. Mother Teresa 

 

In His Hands

"God loves us very much; He has us in mind in each and every moment and he protects us, we should know this and not be afraid of anything." St. Porphyrios 

He's got the whole world in His hands...

And God has every one of us in His heart.

We are loved.

In every moment of our lives, God is with us.

He will take care of everything.

We just have to give Him our trust.

We can do that by surrendering to God the hard and difficult moments we face.

"Let us be one with Jesus... May all moments of our life be for Him alone." St. Therese of Liseux  

Remember, He's got the whole world, including YOU, in His hands!

 Starting tomorrow I am going to take Sundays off from blogging. 

Project Ransom

Today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. 

That means for the past 48 years babies have been legally aborted in America.

I recently read an article about paper straws being a higher concern than the concern of killing a baby inside the womb.  

This breaks my heart. 

America has little respect for human life. 

If we do not see a baby as a person, then all else is lost. 

It scares me to know that life is viewed as a choice instead of as a gift. 

Abortion is not a solution. 

But our president, vice president and country see it that way. 

This makes me fear for those billions of babies and their mothers. 

This makes me fear for our country and the future.   

 "When the future is uncertain and all you see is darkness, you have something you don't have during times of tranquility; the opportunity to trust in Jesus." Gary Zimak    

There is a lot I can't do to stop abortion, but there is also a lot I can do to stand up for these little lives that are threatened. 

Check out Project Ransom, created by my dear friend Kim Frei to help protect the unborn! 

We can't at this time control who is in government office and we can't control the choices of other people but we can control what we can control.

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are some of the things we can control.

Prayerfully consider fasting from something and using the money to donate to pro-life charities. 

My favorite pro-life charity is the Sisters of Life! 

The Sisters mother the expectant mothers considering abortion, so the mothers can mother their babies. 

The Sisters of Life are listed as a charity in Project Ransom. 

It's time to give life back! 

Let's live in ways that will make a difference for humanity! 

 "Act, and God will act." St. Joan of Arc

 https://www.projectransom.com/why-project-ransom?fbclid=IwAR1S3VEiuSe4Ar7uvTEixfo2n8jYQ35XXxjffTrvDCSWkitKCCFetC3iDzQ

In My Father's House

I am reading the book, 33 Days to Greater Glory, a total Consecration to the Father through Jesus, based on the Gospel of John by Fr. Michael E. Gaitley. 

Reading this book has opened my heart to see the Father and Son's relationship in a whole new way. 

I no longer view God's love as tough love. 

The Father's love for His Son and for us is beautifully explained on every page. 

I want to share some of that beauty with you today...

Day 17 The Father's House 

"Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" John 14 1-4

This bible verse spoke to me because my sister, Sr. Jordan Rose, wrote a song about this verse and sang it at my grandma's funeral. 

The "end" is home, the end is with the Father in his house. 

Something to look forward to!

Fr. Michael directs us back to the prologue of John's Gospel to reflect of the phase, "the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father" (1:18)."  

"Bosom of the Father" is the Father's house, where the eternal Son dwells. 

"Bosom" meaning chest and inside the chest is the heart, the house of God.

"The Father's house is in the bosom, then inside that house is his Heart. This is who the Son is. He lives at the very Heart of the Father, surrounded by the Father's love." Fr. Michael Gaitley 

Surrounded by the Father's love! 

"Jesus replied to them. "Do you now believe? Behold an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world." John 16:31-33 

Take Heart in the Father's love for His Son and for YOU! 

In My Father's House 

There are many rooms

So be not afraid, there's a place for you

Something to look forward to

No eye has seen

No ear has heard

What the Father has prepared for those who love Him

Heaven is the place that my heart longs for 

Something to look forward to 

Sr. Jordan Rose, S.V 

January 20th

January 20th, inauguration day. 

January 20th, my sweet momma's birthday! 

Today I am choosing joy!

Though there is much I wish I could change about today, I wouldn't change one thing...

That one thing is my mom.

My momma finds good in everyone and everything. 

Even on the saddest and hardest of days, I know I can count on my mom to cheer me up. 

Her heart is pure gold and she has taught me the power of prayer. 

So today is beautiful because my mom is beautiful. 

Nothing can change that!

Happy Birthday to the best mom in the world! 

"Bad times, hard times - this is what people keep saying; but let us live well and times shall be good. We are the times. Such as we are, such are the times." St. Augustine of Hippo

 

Dryness

 "Remain calm in times of dryness." St. Teresa of Avila 

My eyes are so very dry. 

As part of Kearns Sayres Syndrome, dry eyes are normal. 

My eyes don't create tears very often because my eyes do not fully shut when closed. 

This is a big reason  why they are so irritated and dry, making it difficult to fall asleep. 

Normally my eyes just itch but within the past month or so, I have been experiencing eye pain from the dryness. 

It often feels like sand or an eyelash is stuck in my eye. I am constantly rubbing my eyes and using eye drops multiple times a day. 

Last night and today my eyes have been bothering me, so I thought I would share to ask for prayers. 

It's not exactly the kind of dryness St. Teresa of Avila was talking about, but it is a dryness I desire relief from. 

"Courage therefore, and with the soul's eye fixed on the goal of eternity, struggle on! Ven. Solanus Casey  

W.W.J.D

"Do not be shaped by this world, instead be changed within by a new way of thinking." Romans 12:2 

What shapes us can only come from within. 

Our thoughts change when our hearts change.

When we ponder with our hearts we begin to see a new way of thinking, a deeper way of thinking. 

She would ponder these things in her heart. Luke 2:19 

Instead of the world changing us, how can we change the world? 

How can I make the world a better place? 

The answer is Jesus!

We need Jesus in our thoughts, in our hearts and in our world! 

We need Jesus to transform us from within!

Jesus in the new way of thinking!

W.W.J.D.

What Would Jesus Do? 

Love Deeply. 

 "If you learn everything except Christ, you learn nothing. If you learn nothing except Christ, you learn everything." St. Bonaventure 

The High Road

 "In a world where you can be anything be kind." unknown 

I have this quote as a sticker on my laptop to remind me to be kind.

It's easy to be upset with everything in the world right now and especially in our own country.

We have the right to be upset but it's how we choose to deal with being upset. 

We can allow the frustration to do exactly what frustrated us in the first place or we can acknowledge our emotions and give them to God, who is love and kindness.  

No matter our difference of opinions we should treat each other with respect.  

People need to treat each other as persons. 

I obviously am still working towards this. 

I found on Pinterest this reminder to help me strive to be kind with my words. 

 Before you Speak Think (unknown)

T is it true?

        H is it helpful? 

        I  is it inspiring?

           N is it necessary?

  K is it kind? 

If we asked ourselves these questions before speaking, we could all become kinder people. 

My goal this week is to think before speaking and to practice kindness. 

Let's take the high road together!

"The higher we go, the better we shall hear the voice of God." Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati 

A Life Worth Living

 "Only a life lived for others is a life worth living." Albert Einstein 

It's time to start living that kind of life! 

A life that is not our own but ours to share and to build. 

A life lived in such a way that benefits others!

What if we lived with love instead of focusing on what divides us?

What if we saw our lives as a gift meant to be shared with the world? 

How do we share and build this life worth living?

 Small acts of kindness, talking with a friend, praying for a stranger or helping someone in need are some examples to reach out to others.

Now to begin doing! To begin loving and living not for self but for others! 

  "When one loves one does not calculate." St. Therese of Liseux 

New Heart & New Spirit

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26  

That scripture verse has multiple meanings. 

I remember praying with that verse while in heart failure. 

 Today I revisited this promise. 

"I will give you a new heart." 

Almost six years ago, I would have thought that meant a heart transplant. 

Out with the old and in with the new.

Today, however, the words that spoke to my heart were, 

"I will put a new spirit within you."

I believe He has done just that. 

The spirit of doubt and fear overwhelmed my heart then but the heart of Jesus was near my own heart.

Without a new spirit, I would not have trusted and I would not have found hope. 

The Lord heals the brokenhearted! 

"Ask Him to renew your heart so that when people see you, they know God dwells within you." 

Jane Trufant Harvey

"One loving heart sets another on fire." St. Augustine of Hippo 

Do it with a Smile

 "Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, whatever Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God." St. Mother Teresa 

We should avoid comparing our lives to the lives of others and instead embrace where and who we are because that is where and who God wills us to be. 

Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things, rather it invites us to accept the ordinary things.  

We are all called to accept, but some things are harder to accept.

And by accept I don't mean saying certain circumstances are 'okay.' 

I mean accepting the circumstances, knowing they are hard to accept, but accepting them anyway because it's part of God's plan. 

I have learned over the years that when I don't accept God's will, I am only making things harder for myself. 

Whatever Jesus sends us, God's will be done.  

1. Do the will of God 2. Do it in the manner He wills 3. Do it because it is His will 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton 

And as Mother Teresa said it, "Do it with a smile." 

The Name of Jesus

I am currently reading Fr. Michael Gaitley's book, 33 Days to Greater Glory. This book has me noticing details of scripture I hadn't noticed before. 

For example, 

"A whole cohort of Roman soldiers (several hundred) and the temple guard go out to arrest Jesus." Fr. Michael Gaitley 

Several hundred soldiers! 

The Gospel of John continues...

 Jesus asked those waiting to arrest him, "Whom do you seek?" 

"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. 

Jesus answered, "I am He."

"Now then, when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground." John 18:6

The hundreds of guards fell at the name of Jesus! 

That is powerful! 

And January is the month dedicated to the name of Jesus! 

Call upon His name because there is power in his name! 

"I am. Do not be afraid." John 6:20 

Give Him your fears and worries! 

Jesus, I trust in you!  

"Those who know your name trust in you; you never forsake them who seek you, Lord."
 Psalm 9:11 

Whatever it Takes

 "God doesn't give the hardest battles to His toughest soldiers, He creates the toughest soldiers through life's hardest battles." unknown 

Maverick was the toughest soldier and He fought the hardest battle.  

I didn't know Maverick or his family personally, yet, this sweet boy and his family hold a very special place in my heart. 

When I was having a hard day, whether it be emotionally or physically, I knew I could offer up my suffering for Maverick. 

That is the beauty of prayer. 

Looking at each other with compassion and love, even those we have never met. 

Maverick had a huge army praying for him in battle.

Now he is in heaven, praying for us. 

He never gave up. He fought until the very end. 

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance." 2 Timothy 4:7-8  

May we always remember to persevere as Maverick persevered. 

Whatever it takes! 

Rest in peace, Maverick. 

You are my Beloved

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately coming up our of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him, and a voice came from the heavens; "You are my beloved Son, in You I am well pleased." Mark 1:9-11   

Today is the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus! 

Jesus did not have to be baptized, He chose to be baptized! 

He allowed the Spirit to come down upon Him, and he allowed the voice of His Father to be heard. 

Why?

His baptism shows us the way, the truth and the life. 

At our baptisms we were declared His beloved daughters and sons. 

Fr. Mike Schmitz said, "The water and the Holy Spirit change us but when Christ touched the waters he changed them."  

Jesus is the Priest, Prophet and King!

At baptism we too are anointed priest, prophet and king.

Our identity and mission come from being baptized.

It is through our identity and mission that brings us closer to Christ. 

He is the light of the world and He wants us to share in that light.  

 Christ is bathed in light; let us also be bathed in light. Christ is baptized; let us also go down with him, and rise with Him. St. Gregory Nazianzus  

Come, Holy Spirit! 

https://youtu.be/sLBFUuPxrlQ

Inner Peace

 "Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." St. Francis de Sales 

The question is, How?

How do I find my inner peace?

How do I find peace when the world is upset?

"Pray, hope and don't worry." St. Padre Pio 

In other words, do what you can and God will do the rest. 

Today I felt peace after going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

My restlessness is gone and joy is found! 

The things I felt unsettled about do not bother me anymore. 

I can't create world peace, but I can work on inner peace. 

Peace comes from your own heart.

"While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart." St. Francis of Assisi  

There is a Need

 "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." C.S. Lewis 

We are a people that won't listen. 

However, we suddenly choose to listen when we are in need. 

And right now, we are in need of hope. 

He allows us to have this need.

God sees the suffering and pain in the world but He also gives us reason to hope.  

He gives us Jesus Christ, His Son, the Savior of the world. 

He unites our suffering with His own. 

  With God we are given every reason to hope. 

"Don't let anything deprive you of hope." St. Nektarious of Aegina 

Truth

"The truth is the truth even if nobody believes it, and a lie is till a lie, even if everybody believes it." Venerable Fulton Sheen  

Yesterday I spoke of a battle, and today I will say it again. We are in a battle. 

Good vs evil.

Satan is the king of lies. 

Jesus is the Truth. 

We must cling to the Truth. 

Do not listen to the lies of the enemy.

Always seek the truth, even when everyone believes in a lie. 

Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness...and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13-14, 17  

Stand firm in the Truth. 

Immerse yourselves in the word of God. 

"In God's name let us go on bravely." St. Joan of Arc  

Believe

 "Every man gives his life for what he believe in. Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing and so they give their lives to little or nothing. One life is all we have and we live it, as we believe in living it... and then it's gone. But to surrender who you are and to live without belief, is more terrible than dying, even more terrible than dying young." St. Joan of Arc 

What are your beliefs? 

Does America even have beliefs anymore?

What happened to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? The beliefs our country was founded on. 

In the words of Alexander Hamilton,  "Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything." 

We see this in our country today.

People want little or nothing to do with beliefs.  

We are in a battle. 

However, we must not surrender and instead believe. 

Believe in a God, who believes in us. 

"Do not be afraid or discouraged... for the battle is not yours, but God's." 2 Chronicles 20:15 

Enough Time

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Hellen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein." H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 

I needed this quote to remind me that I don't need more hours in a day.

More time doesn't always mean more.

In fact, I feel like I procrastinate when more time is given.  

I need to utilize my time instead of wasting it.  

Today I decided to ask myself the question,

"What are you not doing?" 

When I thought of the good things I could be doing, I felt a need to begin. 

Instead of scrolling through social media, I want to use this time to read good books. 

I want to make prayer a concrete part of my day. 

I don't want to miss out by not doing these things. 

Because when we waste time, we miss out on opportunities to grow.  

"Over come any sluggishness you may feel, and that false excuse that prayer can wait for later. Let us never put off this vital source of grace until tomorrow. Now is the right time." St. Josemaria Escriva  

Hold on to Hope

On this dreary Monday there is a strong need for hope. 

Hope for a suffering world. 

My Facebook feed is filled with prayer intentions. 

A young boy named Maverick, is fighting for his life and is enduring so much pain. 

Another little boy, Levi, is in need of healing after his accident.

My heart aches for these boys and their families.

How can one hope in the middle of so much suffering? 

I can't answer for these families, I can only answer for myself.  

Jesus. 

He is the one thing that is certain in an unsure world. 

He came to not take away suffering but to suffer with and for us.

When it's hardest to hope, that is when I know I need hope the most. 

I need Jesus to simply just be with me in my suffering. 

The suffering might not be taken away, but He will always be with me. 

Hold on to hope! 

"Behold, God's dwelling place is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away. The one who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."" Revelation 21:4-5 

Hope against Hope

 One year ago I was on my way to the beautiful island, Maui. 

I had such high hopes for 2020 after coming home. 

However, as the year went on the world started to lose hope. 

I started to lose hope. 

Nothing was certain.  

Now the year is 2021 and the option to hope is still there. 

But if I choose hope, will I only be let down? 

No.

That is the beauty found in hope. 

Hope looks for the good. 

When it is the hardest to do so, we must "hope against hope," to quote Fr. Michael E. Gaitley.  

That means when there is no hope, we should cling to hope and persevere in faith. 

Hope to see the good in the world. 

"To live according to the Holy Spirit means to live by faith and hope and charity - to allow God to take possession of our lives and to change our hearts, to make us resemble Him more and more." St. Josemaria Escriva  

Stay Positive

"Look for something positive in every day, even if some days you have to look a little harder." 

-unknown 

Today I am going to have to look a little harder. 

For example, the can of evaporated milk that fell on my toe was a negative. 

But what are the positives?  

I am surrounded by my loving family. I enjoy laughing and simply just being with them. 

I need to separate the negative and look for the good. 

On the days where it is hardest to look for the good, see it as an opportunity. 

Each day is an opportunity to become a better and more positive person. 

"God's presence doesn't exempt us from obstacles and challenges. On the other hand, He goes with us into and through the challenge. We go through challenges to enter into new lands of promise and provision." Strong and Courageous, Trusting God in an unsure World  

Nothing Happens by Chance

Today starts the beginning of 2021! 

Do you have plans for the New Year? Are you taking chances? 

What resolutions have you made? 

I don't make resolutions anymore, especially after 2020. 

Maybe that's because I don't like taking chances? 

I don't like having my plans changed. 

"In God's plan, nothing happens by chance." St. Pope John Paul II 

We must trust that He is in control and that He will guide us.

God has us in the palm of His hand. 

 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways." Isaiah 55:8     

2020 was part of God's plan and 2021 will be a part of His plan too.  

Remember that He has a plan for you in this new year.

"Whatsoever happens...never let go; hold steadfastly to God, in peace, trusting His everlasting love for you." St. Francis de Sales