God is in the details.
4 hours ago
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Galactic Catholic Universe Photo of the Day: Florida:Little Manatee River State Park
God is in the details.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The Right Left Turn
In my small downtown neighborhood the brick buildings butt up against the main highway that stretches straight through at the super speed of 30 mph. When it comes to making a left turn, you have to be very careful to see around the edges and in most cases you can't see what is coming. Still, it is a leap to go ahead and make that turn because your trying to get somewhere.
Easter is very much a reminder of left turns and sightless hope because the Resurrection is the promise of difficult tasks that will be accomplished with faith. A few years back you may have read the story about the United Postal Service planning their routes in America to have more right turns, and thus less idle time using gas and valuable service time. The opposite is true for the person who longs to know Christ. The outcome for the UPS was to increase revenue which could easily be seen in dollars and cents. The outcome for the faithful in the Holy Church is far greater than dollars and cents and depends upon that same sightless hope which we may use to make left turns when the view seems blocked.
The easy way is not always the best way. You have probably heard this saying before. It is hard to see it as true when pride tells you otherwise. Physically, making an endless amount of easy right turns will only lead you in a circle, whereas life is a series of multi-directional turns that lead you on the path of the will of God. Left turns are a leap of faith. They are scary sometimes and can be downright dangerous at other times. These metaphorical turns in life have much more fruit than an easy way out or in or through. The difficult decisions that our interactions with others create are the masters of our character and soul. Would it be so great to explain to the maker that you were so crafty as to only make easy right turns in your life? The soul and character would be made of mush at that point because of the folly of the easy road.
Left turns in life are usually about people. The turn starts with someone else but always ends up with you. In the end, the turn depends on you. The sightless leap of faith around a blind corner happens if you chose to go that way. New opportunities are more likely to arise on that path not taken. Forward is the only way that a hard task leaves one to take. Would it be so great to explain to the maker that you were so scared but you took that leap of faith anyway? The soul and character would be made of the very strong stone that you once believed blocked your path.
The Resurrection is a New way of thinking. A new path has been lit by the Christ and the Father above waits for your arrival on that weaving way of hardships and renewal.
If your right turns are pride and vanity, let humility and poverty be your left turn. If your right turns are hatred and anger, let forgiveness and peace be your left turn. If your right turns aim you right at yourself, let Jesus Christ be your left turn and turn to Him again and again.
Alleluia! He is Risen!
Easter is very much a reminder of left turns and sightless hope because the Resurrection is the promise of difficult tasks that will be accomplished with faith. A few years back you may have read the story about the United Postal Service planning their routes in America to have more right turns, and thus less idle time using gas and valuable service time. The opposite is true for the person who longs to know Christ. The outcome for the UPS was to increase revenue which could easily be seen in dollars and cents. The outcome for the faithful in the Holy Church is far greater than dollars and cents and depends upon that same sightless hope which we may use to make left turns when the view seems blocked.
The easy way is not always the best way. You have probably heard this saying before. It is hard to see it as true when pride tells you otherwise. Physically, making an endless amount of easy right turns will only lead you in a circle, whereas life is a series of multi-directional turns that lead you on the path of the will of God. Left turns are a leap of faith. They are scary sometimes and can be downright dangerous at other times. These metaphorical turns in life have much more fruit than an easy way out or in or through. The difficult decisions that our interactions with others create are the masters of our character and soul. Would it be so great to explain to the maker that you were so crafty as to only make easy right turns in your life? The soul and character would be made of mush at that point because of the folly of the easy road.
Left turns in life are usually about people. The turn starts with someone else but always ends up with you. In the end, the turn depends on you. The sightless leap of faith around a blind corner happens if you chose to go that way. New opportunities are more likely to arise on that path not taken. Forward is the only way that a hard task leaves one to take. Would it be so great to explain to the maker that you were so scared but you took that leap of faith anyway? The soul and character would be made of the very strong stone that you once believed blocked your path.
The Resurrection is a New way of thinking. A new path has been lit by the Christ and the Father above waits for your arrival on that weaving way of hardships and renewal.
If your right turns are pride and vanity, let humility and poverty be your left turn. If your right turns are hatred and anger, let forgiveness and peace be your left turn. If your right turns aim you right at yourself, let Jesus Christ be your left turn and turn to Him again and again.
Alleluia! He is Risen!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Catholic Dreamer
Sometimes the clarity in a dream is striking and can hold the key to a peaceful submission to God's will. Often I find myself having dreamed of an event or discussion to heal a relationship. These are different dreams from the regular random ones.
I can sense that God has a purpose to bring peace and healing in my life from a dream of a warmfelt hug or a spoken apology from myself or another person.
At other times, I have dreamed being in a car wreck over and over. I have learned to correct my thoughts and actions in the dream until I get out of danger. The reason for these dreams is that the exact events occur, but because I have learned from my repeated dreams I am, and was able to save myself and the people driving behind me. Praise God!
God the Father used voices and dreams often in scripture to call the prophets. But I think Our Lord calls us in this way to protect and bring peace also when a heart can only take so much more struggle or stress. The love of the Lord is endless and there is no one who can stop Him from fulfilling the destiny He has for you in His great design.
Sleep well and I hope you have the type of dreams that bring peacefulness and preparedness for the mission the God has for you today.
I can sense that God has a purpose to bring peace and healing in my life from a dream of a warmfelt hug or a spoken apology from myself or another person.
At other times, I have dreamed being in a car wreck over and over. I have learned to correct my thoughts and actions in the dream until I get out of danger. The reason for these dreams is that the exact events occur, but because I have learned from my repeated dreams I am, and was able to save myself and the people driving behind me. Praise God!
God the Father used voices and dreams often in scripture to call the prophets. But I think Our Lord calls us in this way to protect and bring peace also when a heart can only take so much more struggle or stress. The love of the Lord is endless and there is no one who can stop Him from fulfilling the destiny He has for you in His great design.
Sleep well and I hope you have the type of dreams that bring peacefulness and preparedness for the mission the God has for you today.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The State of Pride
It's Lent again and once again I am failing to pray the Way of Cross. I am freely admitting this so that the www. will hold me accountable. The fact is, that I love to meditate on the Cross. But my pride has gotten in the way of a good and Holy devotion exhibited in reflective prayer.
Please pray the Way of the Cross with me this Lent in order to have a well-formed conscience in preparation for the trials of this world.
Meditations for the Way of the Cross Fr. Frank Pavone
Please pray the Way of the Cross with me this Lent in order to have a well-formed conscience in preparation for the trials of this world.
Meditations for the Way of the Cross Fr. Frank Pavone
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Save the Blue Fin Tuna????
I am all for the ecosystem but when it comes to Tuna or Babies, it seems some people are missing the boat.
If you don't know, or you've been hiding under the proverbial rock, then please let me explain again that abortion is Murder of human babies.
Once a child is conceived within the womb of a woman it is a living entity that inhabits all of the essence of a human being. The child forms organs within days.
Abortion takes place by Killing a child in the womb with drugs, chemicals or foreign objects thrust in the person of the child in the womb.
Partial birth abortion is always Murder of a child by killing in the womb or as the child is being born.
Yet people still do these things and admit to it freely. So when it comes down to supporting Tuna, Wolves, Penguins or Human Babies, I am going to stick with the living breathing children that die each day to moral relativism and indifference to Life.
Abortion Methods
Beginning of a Child's Life
If you don't know, or you've been hiding under the proverbial rock, then please let me explain again that abortion is Murder of human babies.
Once a child is conceived within the womb of a woman it is a living entity that inhabits all of the essence of a human being. The child forms organs within days.
Abortion takes place by Killing a child in the womb with drugs, chemicals or foreign objects thrust in the person of the child in the womb.
Partial birth abortion is always Murder of a child by killing in the womb or as the child is being born.
Yet people still do these things and admit to it freely. So when it comes down to supporting Tuna, Wolves, Penguins or Human Babies, I am going to stick with the living breathing children that die each day to moral relativism and indifference to Life.
Abortion Methods
Beginning of a Child's Life
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Gradual Change
I wish sometimes that we could all just get where we are going. In the spiritual sense though. But as I reflect on the scripture and the path of the disciples this Lent, I realize that they too, took baby steps in order to become leaders and healers in Jesus' name. Only a few such as Andrew and John seemed to really 'get it' at first. But then we have our very real friends in scripture, Peter and Paul and the rest of the crew that didn't really 'get it' at first that all things lead to the Messiah Christ.
It would probably help us in this life to hang around Jesus as much as possible. Thank goodness for Adoration! But at the same time, there is not the sense of urgency that there may have been at the time of Christ. In this world things are changing rapidly and it seems like when we make advances against embryonic stem cell research and partial birth abortion, we are just hit back down the hill to push against a very real boulder blocking many people's salvation.
The political fight for Life issues is only a metaphor for the inner struggle to battle sin in our everyday lives. Like the very real sins of abortion and not natural genetic manipulation, the battle against every day sins rages for most of us like Peter in the scripture who make the same stupid mistakes over and over. And that is the spiritual journey happening in tandem with the physical life on this Earth.
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| Hakuin |
One thing I choose to do is hope and pray for hope. It is a grace of God to hope in the one who saved us and in all that salvation entails. There is an 'Act of Hope' prayer for a reason. If you truly desire to make a path on your spiritual journey no matter what is happening in the world then it will be.
Just as Peter was led to the cross, we must all bear our cross and eventually master our sin upon it.
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