Not Giving Up

On this Palm Sunday, I listened to Father Mike Schmidt's homily on the Hallow App's Lenten Challenge.

I learned that surrender is not giving up. Surrender is giving access. 

It is an act of trust by accepting God's will and giving Him access to our hearts. 

"Pain on it's own is just painful. Suffering on it's own just hurts. We know that on its own, the cross simply crushes. Without Jesus, pain is just pain. But united with Jesus Christ, your cross and my cross has a new power." 

It means uniting our suffering with surrendering. 

Uniting with the One who surrendered and suffered it all for all of us. 

"Why do we voluntarily embrace suffering as Christians? Because we know that suffering is not senseless. We know that when we say "yes" to God's will in this moment it has power. When we surrender we are participating in the salvation of the world." 

Do not waste your suffering. 

Check out the "Sunday Sermon: Enter the Story" session in Hallow: https://hallow.app.link/AoHbE6KAeIb

O Humble Carpenter.

Lent and Sacrifice go together.  

Lent and Surrender do too. 

We need to make the sacrifice by surrendering our own will to God's will. 

This Lent has shown me that there are opportunities to surrender each and every day. 

Sacrifice becomes Surrender.  

Surrender becomes Sacrifice.

The act of surrender is a yes to sacrifice.  

This Lent has taught me that we are all called to sacrifice and to surrender our hearts to the Lord.

 "Pour out your life in small moments because it's only these moments that add up to the monumental...The only way to live a truly remarkable life is not to get everyone to notice you, but to leave noticeable marks of His love everywhere you go...Love is so large it has to live in the holiness of very small moments of sacrifice." 

Ann Voskamp, Be the Gift 

Notes I took from Ann Voskamp: 

"Not make impressions, make a difference. Not to one up but help each other up."  

Painting by Erin McAtee

 Happy birthday today, Erin! 

Your heart shines beautifully in all of your artwork! Thank you for sharing your beautiful heart and talent!  

The song "Wood and Nails" was playing in my head this morning. 

"O Humble Carpenter" keeps replaying over and over in my mind.

The One who gave the ultimate Sacrifice and the One who teaches us to Surrender. 

Come to Jesus

The Surrender Novena

Day 1

"Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations."

O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times)

I have been listening to the "Lent Pray40" on the Hallow app. and praying with these words to surrender. 

I have learned that surrender is an act of trust. 

 Yesterday I went to the last two episodes of Season 4 of the Chosen.

This Season will pierce a lot of hearts. 

An hour or so after leaving the theater, I had a heat flash, which I am not used to experiencing. 

I sat down, drank some water, ate some food, and felt a lot better. 

However, I knew it was Jesus who was giving me relief. 

I came home and journaled before bed. 

My eyes filled with tears because the exact scripture I had written down was printed at the bottom of my notebook paper without me realizing it.   

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-30 

This was a "Come to Jesus" moment. 

Surrender. Trust.

"Trust is not trust if I need to know why to trust." Fr. Mike Schmitz 

Rest with these words and song lyrics. 

Come

This Lent I am learning about St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises. 

At a Spiritual Exercise presentation, one of the teachings that stood out to me was make time for prayer. 

This is an exercise I need to work on. 

I love praying throughout my day but specific time to pray is also needed. 

Another one of the exercises I am easing into is taking time to pray with Scripture.

Today I prayed with Jeremiah 29:10-15. 

These are the verses that I highlighted:

"Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13 

The words "Come" and "I will listen" spoke to my heart.

God wants us to show up for prayer. 

He wants to listen. 

Come!

And here "comes" the bride and groom! Happy 34th Anniversary, Mom and Dad! 

Thank you for your vocation and for living lives centered around prayer. 

Love you both! 

 

Precious Dust

Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19 

I find it beautiful that Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day are on the same day this year. 

Both represent a giving heart. 

"The only way to love God... is to give to people. Love for Him has to turn into giving, or it was never love." 

Ann Voskamp, Be the Gift 

Today my mom quoted my great aunt, Sister Mary Geis, 

"Remember you are dust, but very precious dust." 

A reminder of whose we are and who we give our hearts to. 

A reminder of how truly loved we are.

Artwork by Erin McAtee 

Hearts Shared

Today at seniors I wanted to share my heart with the people I love and serve. 

I felt inspired to hand out my Prayer for Hope cards.  

I know this is not a typical Valentine card. 

However, it definitely comes straight from the heart. 

And today hearts were shared. 

Hope is needed. Prayer is needed. 

"While there is deep wisdom in reserving our hearts with those who don’t love through Christ’s broken heart, there’s even deeper wisdom in trusting enough to share our broken hearts with those who do. The more we seek Christ’s broken heart in others, maybe the more we will find it, and the safer we’ll find we are to share our own broken hearts with them." Ann Voskamp, Be the Gift 

Lent begins tomorrow on Valentine's day and Ash Wednesday.

The best offering is the offering of our hearts to the Lord. 

 "Everything given out of our brokenness can show greater love through our willingness to suffer."  Ann Voskamp, Be the Gift

Real Life - Real Heart

 “Real life is happening, and it’s happening right now. What if instead of waiting for good enough things to happen to us, we could be the good thing to happen to someone else who’s waiting? What if instead of sitting in life’s waiting room, waiting for a chance for something good enough to happen to check off a bucket list-what if abundant living isn’t about what you can expect from life, but what life can expect from you?” 

Ann Voskamp, Be the Gift 

This quote reminds me to see the good in "real" life. 

Real life means making myself available. 

And through availability I find purpose. 

"He's inviting me to heal, but also to see my most meaningful calling; to be His healing to the hurting. My own brokenness, driving me into Christ's, is exactly where I can touch the brokenhearted. Our most meaningful purpose can be found exactly in our most painful brokenness. I'm not sure I'd known: we can be broken of healing exactly where we have known the most brokenness." Ann Voskamp, Be the Gift  

This is what makes life really REAL. 

Really living and loving from the heart. 

Make my heart available, Lord. 

Painting on Fabric by Erin McAtee