A Simple Path

After watching the beautiful film about Mother Teresa’s  ministry and life, I was led to read “A Simple Path” to learn more about her faith.

There is such simplicity in Mother Teresa’s total love and trust in Jesus that I cannot keep myself from being filled with the Holy Spirit as I read!

I would love to share a beautiful  prayer with you.  It is one of the daily prayers that the sisters say each day.  May God bless you as you read:

 

Deliver me, O Jesus,

From the desire of being loved,

From the desire of being extolled,

From the desire of being honored,

From the desire of being praised,

From the desire of being preferred,

From the desire of being consulted,

From the desire of being approved,

From the desire of being popular,

From the fear of being humiliated,

From the fear of being despised,

From the fear of suffering rebukes,

From the fear of being calumniated,

From the fear of being forgotten,

From the fear of being wronged,

From the fear of being ridiculed,

From the fear of being suspected.

 

Wow!  Love is simple.  However, this completely selfless type of love and trust in Jesus only comes to our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit.

May God bless you and fill your heart with His love!

 

 

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A Love Letter to the World

This morning as I was reading the Daily Bible Passage email that my dear friend sends me, this meditation touched my heart:

“I am poor and when I have nothing to give to the poor, I give them my soul, my heart, and my love, since love is worth much more than money offerings.”  –Blessed Piety of the Cross

As Christians, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves.  We are called to look for ways we can provide comfort and hope to those who are in need.  Each person has a different  need…it could be shelter, food/water, clothing, employment, friendship, medical care, education, or a maybe a safe haven.

One need we all share, is the need to be truly  loved.

Each day, the Lord works through His Church, which is The Body of Christ.  We are His hands and feet…to spread The Good News of His saving love and mercy.   When we open ourselves to Jesus, and invite Him into our hearts, we become beautiful vessels of His Love spilling out onto a world in need.  When we are open to listen and hear  His Spirit calling to us, we will be led throughout our day to ways we can show love to each individual soul.  According to the blessings and ministry the Lord has entrusted us with, we learn to see the need and fill that need whenever it is in our power to do so, always sharing our very hearts and souls in the process.

However, there are times that we can not provide what is needed in the physical world, although we hunger to do so.  We must always remember that we have the light and love of Christ to share with each and every person we meet.  We have our hearts and souls to offer to the world and for the the world, through Jesus Christ.

This simple way of loving as Christ loves, can be clearly seen in the life of  Mother Teresa.  Only recently have I known her story, and my husband and I watched the film “Mother Teresa” (starring Olivia Hussey) last weekend.  Wow…my heart has never been so moved as to what it really means to love as Christ loves, and to follow His Voice in our lives.  The last scene of the movie touched me on a deep level, in the way it portrayed how the love of Christ is passed from person to person, from generation to generation.

I will leave you with one of Mother Teresa’s quotes:

“I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.”  

How amazing that the Lord would choose to invite us to be an instrument that writes His love letter!

 

 

³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  Matt 25:35-40

³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”   Mark 12:30-31

The Monsters We Create

With Halloween around the corner, we will be seeing more and more scary monsters, whether we want to or not. This reblog that was originally posted a year ago, may give you a new perspective of the monsters all around us.

somebodylovesmeblog

The other night, I happened to see a discussion of the movie “The Bride of Frankenstein.” Upfront, I need to let you know I have never seen a Frankenstein movie and have never read the book. It just did not interest me. Although I usually do not put any credence in what “stars” say, Drew Barrymore’s  words interested me. She said it was a beautiful movie, with lots of symbolism. She also inferred there was a strong ethical and moral theme throughout the story, and a person could not help feeling sadness and compassion for the “monster”.

My curiosity was aroused, so I watched the movie.

Then I had to watch it again with my husband. This movie was filmed in 1935. There are many scenes that modern movie enthusiasts might laugh at, because of the acting and low technology, according to today’s standards. However, what I saw was a truly…

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True Purpose

These words were given to me this morning.  Maybe they are meant for you…as they are  for me:

How much more time will you waste feeling inadequate, and waiting for the revelation of God’s real purpose for your life?  How long will you continue to pray for the Lord to reveal your true calling, as though He hasn’t already?

Have you ever considered that each person and sometimes ‘mundane’ circumstances in your daily life, are all intricate parts of His Divine Plan?  That maybe those people that you pass by or communicate with in such a nonchalant way, are an important part of your mission and purpose?  Sometimes, they are those that you push aside and away from you.  The ones who are so unlike you, or make you feel uncomfortable.

Have you ever wondered about the blessings you have been blocking in the lives of the ones you cast aside? Or the blessings blocked in your own life due to those decisions?

Maybe we only need to open our eyes to the opportunities God is placing right in front of our noses…the opportunities given to share His love with those in need.  When we take the step forward to live and love for Christ, we will notice more and more the people God entrusts to us, and we will realize it is through these acts of love that we grow as people. 

It is through these acts of unselfish love that we are brought closer to Jesus, and our true personality and spirit are revealed.

So as you go through your day today, pay special attention to those around you…and make the decision to love.  You may find that is your true purpose.

My Day was Changed

Today, instead of the salad that I had planned for lunch, I decided to go out.  When I left the office, it was very dreary; a little chilly, no sun, and while heading in to the restaurant it started raining.  Add to that the haze I have been in due to a respiratory bug I am recuperating from…my spirit really needed  some lifting.

As I was sitting and enjoying my lunch, a sweet little girl caught my eye.  She was about two years old, with short, shaggy golden brown hair that magnified her beautiful, smiling brown eyes.  She was in a cute little polka dot shirt and black leggings.  As she sat on the table facing her mother, every now and again she would burst out in laughter due to unknown words her mom whispered to her.

Their joy was contagious!  The innocence and beauty of the love between this mother and her daughter touched me, and I felt my heart fill up.  For some reason, I felt a connection with them, and couldn’t keep myself from smiling.

As they were on their way out, the little girl broke free from her mom, and ran over to me.  She looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes, said good-bye, then ran back to her mom.

My day was changed in a matter of moments. 

In the past, I may have not even noticed the beauty that was occurring right in front of me.  Sometimes it is so easy to be overwhelmed with the negative around  or within us…we forget to open our eyes to the goodness that is always right there in front of us.

As I grow in faith and maturity, I am learning to keep my eyes, ears, and heart open to God’s whispers to me.   He never lets me down.

Today, He was reminding me that His love is all around me, sometimes in unexpected places.  And I am reminded to praise and worship my Lord and Savior, and to be grateful in all things.

Need I tell you, the sun is now shining and there is no sign of rain?

 

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4:8-9

We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.   Romans 8:28

 

 

 

 

The Faith of Saint Therese of Lisieux

The faith and heart of Saint Therese touches my own walk with Jesus in a profound way. We are all blessed with different gifts; Love is the source of all.
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.  1 Corinthians 13:8-13