Note

NOTE: Commentary is made as a private citizen and not as Regional Coordinator for Silent No More or any other ministries.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Open His Gift




Of the many General Intercessions at Christmas Eve Mass, one was directed towards non-believers. When I knelt down after receiving the Eucharist, my thoughts were on those souls.  May the gift they open be their hearts ... to experience the love, peace and hope that can only come from Christ Jesus.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting  Father,
Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah 9:6)
 

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

 









Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Recipe for Happiness





I saw this blog post from Live Your Poem and had to share:


I was looking through all my cookbooks for a breakfast casserole recipe when I found this entry at the very back of a homemade cookbook that was assembled by Deb Dykes:

Recipe for Happiness

2 Heaping Cups of Patience
1 Heart, Full of Love
2 Handfuls of Generosity
PLENTY OF FAITH
1 Handful of Understanding
A Dash of Laughter
A Generous Sprinkle of Kindness

 Combine patience, love and generosity with understanding. Add a dash of laughter and sprinkle generously with kindness. Add plenty of faith and mix well. Spread over a period of a lifetime. Serve everyone you meet.


Monday, December 8, 2014

An Unsung Hero


 
A writer's life can be very complicated and stressful, in fact; it usually is.  With looming deadlines, promotions and family/work/ministry responsibilities, it can become totally overwhelming.  Fortunately, God placed several people in my life that understand and give me incredible support ... but the greatest source of support is my husband. 

Michael works full-time, Monday through Friday and sometimes on Saturdays. Even with that schedule, he unselfishly picks up the slack on the home front when I'm faced with a deadline, co-leading Rachel's Hope retreats or coordinating something for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign.  He also deals with my nocturnal writing habits...seeing me tapping away at the laptop when he goes to bed then still tapping away when he gets up for work at 4 a.m. 

Being one that finds self-promoting a tad bit daunting, Michael has picked up the slack in that department too.  He plugs my work whenever he gets a chance and also gives me objective, honest critiques. He reads my drafts prior to submission but one in particular worried me ... And God Still Loves Me - A Journey from the Dark Abyss of Sin to God's Mercy. The book was my story of redemption, and revealed what transpired during what I call the "demon days"... which revealed incidents that might cause him embarrassment.  Was he shocked, angry or ask me to remove any of it?  No!  He gave me a big hug and said nothing I did in the past would change his feelings towards me. 

Backing me up is one thing, but it pales in comparison to what he has done for my family. We were both empty-nesters when we married fourteen years ago and enjoyed privacy and freedom ... then my son and his girlfriend needed a place to live while awaiting the birth of their first child.  "No problem", Michael said.  They lived with us for a year and a half before relocating to Michigan. After a couple of years alone, my son needed some moral support after the death of his father (my ex-husband) and help dealing with some other personal issues.  Michael not only provided the necessary resources to fly him to his dad's funeral in Texas but enough to come here and spend time with us to fall back and regroup.  It ended up being a two-month visit.  A year later, my parents and uncle needed to be closer to family due to their advancing age and health problems.  Instead of searching out nearby assisted living facilities, I wanted them to live with us even though I knew it would be a huge responsibility and involve significant adjustments. Michael did not hesitate for a minute....he welcomed them into our home with open arms.

No, it's not Michael's birthday or our anniversary.  I was compelled to write this because sometimes I am remiss in letting him know how truly blessed I am to have him as my husband, friend and rock.  There is so much more I could write, but to do so would take days.  I just wanted to share a few reasons my heart is overflowing with love and gratitude.

 




Sunday, December 7, 2014

Who Cares?




This past week started out with several disappointing situations which still have not been resolved; however, by Friday, I felt nothing but serenity and gratitude. 

I woke up on Monday morning with my regular "life is good" attitude until I opened an e-mail that pulled the rug out from under me. I switched over to Facebook for a temporary distraction only to find a derogatory post from a family member that was unwarranted and cruel.  I was disappointed, hurt and angry ... overcome with a strong desire for retaliation. Satan had found a way to push buttons in his continuing quest to weaken my faith ... but he lost. Although I had an angry discussion with God and wallowed in self-pity for a while, faith prevailed, thanks to so many loving and compassionate people in my life.

To quote Roy Lessin in his devotional, God Cares for You

 "There are times when God expresses His care for us through others.  It can be through someone's smile or touch ... through a timely word that is spoken, or a loving deed that is expressed ... through a burden that is shared, or a prayer that is prayed on your behalf.  In big ways and in little ways, God has so many wonderful ways of caring for you."

 
I am so very blessed.
 
  Thus we may say with confidence:
“The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?
Hebrews 13:6