What’s really, really important is Love!
On Friday, May 15, 2009, I was driving home on the freeway about 4:00 p.m. We were cruising at a stop and go speed of about 25 mph. I have been conscious of habits of driving because my son is a new driver and I know I have been driving home the idea of keeping a three cars length between you and the car in front. “Yes, Mom I know”, he would say sounding tired of the same old line. Then I would retort, “I know I’ve told you before honey but you don’t realize the importance of the space, if someone hits you from behind or if the ground is wet, your car can be push out of control, you can slide forward, and B-O-O-M, you car will be smashed, not to mention that you would be injured, and you know, I just don’t have time to be at the hospital” (I don’t think any of my children like it when I say things like that- I know – que sera sera, what will be, will be, the future’s not ours to see . . ., but I sometimes think I’m still in control – sorry Lord – I know it all You).
Well on this particular day I thank God my son was not with me, however, I was driving his car. So there we we’re, me and the Friday afternoon commuters, stop and go, stop and go. Then the traffic in front of me started to slow again, so I engaged my brakes and looked in the rear view mirror, a habit I’ve acquired over years of driving (good or bad it’s a habit). I have always been concerned about being hit from behind and have from time to time engaged in one way conversations with my commuter friends who have tested closeness (don’t be acting like you’ve never done that – come on now come out with it). We say things like “h-e-l-l-o, what are you thinking”, “what the heck are you doing %#@*!” (you know I’ve cleaned that up), “back off buddy you are not getting anywhere by riding my tail”. Bumper stickers have been amusing over the years, one of my favorites is “If you can read this, then you are riding WAY too close”.
Back to the story, the traffic slowed, I engaged my brakes, I looked in the rear view mirror, no one was close enough to cause me any alarm, I looked to the front and then to the rear view mirror again and then I saw it, a huge white Toyota Tundra, 2 door truck, quickly swung from behind a large diesel truck that was riding in the right lane along side of me, the Tundra was getting bigger and bigger, and within seconds its was no longer a distinctive figure of a truck it was simply a white mass of metal that was going to hit me straight into the rear of the car. I heard a honk (looking back now it may have been a warning honk) and I remember thinking, “oh no this guy is not going to stop”. I recall saying to myself in the midst of surrender, “that’s it, “I’m going to the hospital”. I realized I was suddenly expecting the hard hit and emergency vehicles with flashing red lights, complete with those guys in uniform (don’t you just love a man in a uniform). As I gave into the thought of my destiny I recall hearing the loud crunch of metal to metal, my head jerking forward and then back again with a thrust into the head rest on the driver’s seat. Immediately after the impact, I realized my car was still moving forward and I had now briefly lost control of the car. My eyes were then fixed on three cars in front of me lined up side by side like a chorus line and I wondered which car I would finally hit before it was all over. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, and hit my brakes with full force, praying all the while, dear Lord, please don’t let me hit anybody, please don’t let me hit, P-L-E-A-S-E!
Now, miraculously, at a complete stop, I momentarily thought “wow, my head doesn’t feel bad, hmmm, that cushion on the head rest was decently padded – I’ll have to search the crash test results on the Honda Civic”, and then I thought “I don’t feel anything wrong anywhere on my body” (yes, my mind really does work that way). As I gather my bearings I thought I do not want to be left sitting in the middle of the freeway in the midst of all the traffic (I don’t think that I was such a considerate person, I just didn’t want to be gawked at by all my commuter friends), so I decided to move to the right shoulder. I saw that the white truck was sitting at a stop now in the lane to my right, and all cars in front of me were gone. I maneuvered my way to the right shoulder and finally all the excitement came to a less than dramatic halt.
At this point my legs felt a bit like Jello, my mind a little foggy, and my hands lightly trembled as I reached for my purse in the back seat so that I could grab a pen to at least write down the license plate to his truck, just in case he took off. I don’t know why I was thinking that he would leave, I imagine my subconscious mind has been corrupted by all the negative news reports I’ve seen in the newspaper and on television. My first response was not of anger, but rather concern. He came to the passenger door of my vehicle and asked me if I was okay, I said that I thought I was, but that I was shaken up (I remember thinking “wow, he asked how I was”, imagine that, a caring individual). I asked him if he was okay and he said “yes”. I didn’t yell or raise my voice, I didn’t feel any animosity toward him; really how could he have wanted to do that to me on purpose.
Once we exchanged information, name, address, phone number, insurance policy number, etc. I got out of the car to assess the damage to our vehicles and take pictures. That’s when I felt the first pangs of pain in my knee. My head began to throb, and my eyes and my right ear apparently decided they didn’t want to be left out of the “pain party”.
Once back in my car I started to drive and thought I had better get myself into urgent care just in case (in case of what I wasn’t certain). As the minutes wore on my body was turning into a “real party animal” quite quickly.
I immediately called my husband. Before divulging the details of my little escapade, I asked how he was doing (poor thing, he had a cold or perhaps the flu –no, at this point we weren’t concerned about the swine flu - he was resting comfortably at home). I then casually I led into, “honey, just now I was rear ended on the 60 fwy, the damage seems minor, and the car’s drivable”. And before he could fail to ask how I was, I volunteered “I’m fine, but I’m driving to the urgent care to be sure, I hit my head and my knee, I’ll be home a little late, I’ll call you about dinner later” (you know guys, give me the punch line, and omit the details unless I ask).
Since I was on a roll, and handling all the minor details - I called my girl friend Patty. I asked her about the whereabouts of her husband. Why would I do that? There’s a reason, gee whiz, I’m getting to that. Her husband owns a body shop. I thought that I would be in and out of urgent care and then toot right on over to the body shop (you know women – we are invincible). NOT! My girlfriend, who knows me quite well, heard my voice and quickly determined that perhaps I wanted some company at this party. She put whatever she was doing on hold and insisted on meeting me at urgent care. I told her that I would be okay, but she would not take no for an answer. I’ve never had a friend do that for me and it moved me beyond words (I’ve got a lump in my throat, give me a moment . . .) I felt our friendship grow to another level that day. I love that girl (you made me love you - I didn’t wanna to do it – private joke – hope you are laughing Patty – now, now readers, you don’t have to know everything).
She made me laugh during the 2 hour ordeal and got my mind off of my little hiccup. Patty knows how to make a heavy situation light (now that I think about it she didn’t allow me to wallow in any “woe is me stuff” – I might have enjoyed that for at least a few minutes). During the admission process right through the doctor’s examination we were engaged in entertaining conversation and experienced lots of laughs, including, being asked if we were mother and daughter (I’m not sure which one of us was supposed to be which, but Patty says it must be because I looked so stressed – do you think she was making me the mom?); then we were asked if we were sisters, and finally from the looks the doctor and nurse gave us we believe we were thought to be partners (not business partners if you get my drift).
Just two days earlier I had spent a beautiful day with my good friends Patty and Linda. We spent time at a day spa and had many hours to relax and share wonderful deep conversations about life. I remember Patty saying something that I thought was profound and that people should really consider: “Each day I decide what’s important, then what’s really important, and then what’s really, really important.” On Friday Patty dropped everything and she was there for me – now that was an act of love (yes, Patty it was). The day after the hiccup, Patty called Linda to let her know that I had been involved in a car accident and assured her that I was okay. Linda called to say that she was thinking of me and before we hung up she said “I love you”. “I love you too,” I responded with a mushy heart (I think that was a first for us). Again, I was moved beyond words; another beautiful instance where someone reached out to love. I know that I am blessed with a wonderful family and equally fabulous friends.
One more thing that I remember as I was driving myself to the urgent care is that I started to feel the impact of my knee and the hit on my head. I said, “oh Lord please, I can live with knee pain but make my head okay, I need my brain, I need to think, I need to write, please”. Then the closer I got I thought, “no I’m not giving in to the thought of injury, Lord, I know you will heal me, heal me Lord, heal me, I’m going to be okay, I know I’ll be okay”. And now days later, my head has cleared and I am able to concentrate again, think clearly again, and write again (however, I can think of a couple of people I know who may believe that I couldn’t concentrate, think or write before the accident – but who are you going to believe, moi, right?-that’s what I thought). My knee has improved dramatically although I am using a knee support (my husband Dave says I wear it because I am a drama queen –I know I’m wearing because I need it! – I wonder if Dave and Patty have talked, hmmmm).
To add more to an already eventful start of the weekend, on Saturday my Godchild and niece, Raquel, was the victim of a hit and run accident. What Raquel recalls most clearly is thinking “I’m going to die. That’s it, I going to die.” When her spinning came to a halt, and when she realized that she hadn’t harmed anyone, she cried, her life was spared. When it was all over her attention was drawn to a Guardian Angel she has affixed on her sun visor (a gift from a very special Aunt). She believes somebody was looking out for her, she was not hurt (hmmm, I wonder who that was?).
What’s my point? My point is that we should turn to God in good times, celebrations, achievements as well as before, after, and during our trials, suffering, loss, and worries.
One other thing that Raquel mentioned is that while she waited for 25 minutes for her family and boyfriend to come to her rescue (L.A. traffic, what can you do) not one person stopped to see why a young woman was sitting on the side of the highway. It was the reality of her statement that hit me hard. We, as a society, need to become aware of others. We are not invisible, and we cannot simply turn away and pretend that we do not see. Therefore, today let’s be bold, and begin this new day and turn away from ourselves and take advantage of the many opportunities we have to love. What would it have taken for someone to stop, and to ask if she was okay, see if she needed a phone to call someone, or sit with her while she waited for help. We will get there, I am confident. We’ve got so many experiences of our own and of course those of others to learn from. Let us become confident in ourselves to allow compassion to overtake us, act on what we feel in our hearts, and we will experience a reward: Love is love’s reward (thanks again Mom).
I’m reminded of a quote from the bible that comes from Mark 10:52, “Go your way; your faith has saved you”.
Thank you Lord, through these little hiccups Raquel and I have received Your graces, experienced Your love and the love of others, and above all we have trust in You.
By the way, the young man came through, he paid for the damages. Wheh! God is good!
Brothers & Sisters In Christ
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Get back to basics and enjoy life the way God intended it!
Get back to basics and enjoy life the way God intended it.
Are we having fun yet? Do you ever ask that question when you are running the marathon of your life? Isn’t that how it feels, so many things to do, so little time. We are part of the mass commuters clogging our freeways. We rush from home to dropping off children at school, we go to work, rush back out to get to the day care before it closes, grab dinner on the go, then off to different parks for practice for the children, then home for baths and homework. Whew – when do we get to enjoy ourselves? A little down time would be nice wouldn’t it? Well, let’s take a little journey back in time and see how life has changed over the decades and how we can make some changes that can give us some of our joy back.
Do you recall stories from grandparents and even your own parents about what life was like when they were growing up in the 40’s and 50’s? My mom went down memory lane for me and this is what she shared.
Radio was the big thing in the 40’s, and if by the 50’s you had a 10 inch television you were really “it” (today television consumes most of our free time and we’ve got screens in the living room, kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms, many as large as 60 inches). Do you have any quiet time in your day?
Radio shows like “Intersanction” were popular and families listened to spooky shows that surprised, stunned, frightened, and startled everyone - they would jump out of their seats so caught up in it all. They also listened to the news of the week on radio. This was family time, what is your family time consist of?
Children spent time outside playing dodge ball, skating and riding bikes. Mothers’ made clothes for their children. Families lived in close proximity to each other. You could visit grandma across the neighborhood parkway and aunts, uncles and cousins lived within walking distance (today families are spread out across the state and sometimes the country - pack your weekend suitcases kids and load up the suburban – we’re going to grandma’s house).
Families ate meals together at home (especially dinner), and all were expected to be cleaned up and act properly at the table (no giggling allowed or you were sent to bed without dinner). Meaningful conversations took place at the dining table. Children were not apart of adult conversation. Actually, adult conversations ceased when children entered the room (children thought they were gossiping – who knows, my grandma is not here to tell her side of the story). Otherwise, as the saying goes: children were seen and not heard. Sounds kind of harsh but I imagine this practice kept children naïve to adult affairs until they were ADULTS (our children today are a part of all conversations –they kind of skip childhood and we see them suffering greatly as they live with great responsibilities well beyond their years).
On Sunday’s families dressed in their best and went to church to worship God. People had a fear of God and children feared their parents’ authority (today we lack a real relationship with God and sometimes children seem to run the households). Lots of socializing went on after mass. There was not a rush to get out and get home. In my family, I recall stories about my grandmother having the local priest over for dinner regularly (I did pose that idea once to my children and they thought I was crazy – I didn’t because I knew my grandma did it – interesting how we are influenced).
The “ice man” wore a cape over his back (because of the cold?) and delivered blocks of ice for refrigerators, grabbing the ice blocks with big tongs, while the children chased him trying to collect the ice shavings and drippings of cold water (we don’t wait to see the Sparkletts man much less chase him down the street – we would be arrested and definitely accused of harassment). The “milk man” delivered milk in aluminum containers, and the vegetable man brought fresh vegetables like chiles, bell peppers, potatoes and fruit, with tarps on either side of the bins to protect the perishables. “Nicho”, the “rag man” came through the neighborhood on his horse that pulled his buggy –calling out “rags, rags, rags”, and children would run out with full arms excited to give him clothing (that was how he apparently made a living).
Women for the most part didn’t work, but did plenty of housework in their housecoats (I myself wear an apron). Their duties included ironing and starching of clothing, hanging clothes and sheets outside on the line to dry neatly hung by clothes pins (no dryers), mending socks and the knees of worn out pants, and of course cooking. Often the children had chores, including collecting eggs in the morning from the chicken coop for the day’s breakfast (we’re lucky if we can get someone to go out to the fruit tree and pick an orange – they’d rather have Tampico juice).
On Sundays – yeah – church! This was the special time to receive a message that set the tone for the week. On that day the family also gathered in the living room to read the funnies (comic strips). No housework was allowed and a woman stayed clear of the kitchen (Sunday was one day my grandma didn’t wear an apron), a true day of rest. Sunday was the day that families could pile in the car to go visit relatives (especially grandpa and grandma).
Young adults practiced abstinence. As a rule they didn’t talk about sex nor did they participate (I’m sure there were a few exceptions). No kissing or holding hands was allowed in public and chaperones was a must on a date (now children are having children and I don’t think I even have to talk about hugging and kissing in public in today’s society). Families and children didn’t know when a couple was having marital troubles, all arguments and/or words of any sort were done behind closed doors.
Life was much simpler and much less complicated. The days were not jammed packed with things to do outside of the home, nor did they have toys that stole valuable quality time from their relationships. They walked to get from place to place and did not spend chunks of time traveling from one event to the other. The pace that people lived their life was much slower. Church and family was a priority - people enjoyed their time and each other. Those were the days, oh Happy Days!
Now in 2009 our world is engaged in war, and the United States is in a severe deficit. We are suffering from job loss, bankruptcy, and poverty. In some areas, we are prisoners in our homes. We are afraid to let our children outside to play because we may be victims of robberies, murder, kidnappings, and shootings.
We have also experienced arsonists who have set fires and thousands of victims have become homeless due to someone’s selfish actions. The news media sensationalizes everything from car chases to the outfit a celebrity wore to the Oscars.
The mass public supports talk shows like Jerry Springer where the family dirt is put on national television for all to see (perhaps many stories are staged, but the problem is we are entertained by it). Reality shows that follow pop stars’ lives or even that of a bachelor hog up our evenings, and we use them as the basis of our conversation the next day at work when we’re standing by the water cooler (maybe I’m dating myself with the water cooler thing, I suppose today it’s e-mail and texting – after all who has face to face conversations anymore-unless of course someone is buying you lunch).
We use alcohol and drugs for the high, to escape from our lives, for depression, to lose weight, to sleep, or to go to the bathroom. We tattoo and pierce our bodies and destroy the temple that God gave us (why would we intentionally destroy a work of perfection?) Graffiti has become commonplace on walls where gangs claim territories and in some areas have been allowed to have a wall of markings permanently.
We have gone crazy with physical looks. We’ll spend thousands of dollars on lap bands, breast implants, face lifts, tummy tucks, hair implants, and weight loss. We’ll take drugs and have sperm implanted in our uterus’ to have multiple child births.
We sit in front of the television for hours and surf the internet at home and at work (on company time of course) and our laptops, cell phones and blackberries are the new means of communication.
We sit our children in front of the television to watch cartoons, purple dinosaurs and make millionaires of teenage stars like Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus (who now make more money than professional ball players because we buy all the products they have for sale). We’ll also put on the latest Sponge Bob video to entertain our little ones to keep them out of our hair (ugh), I mean keep them safe and busy while we take care of important stuff, household chores, etc.
We take the car everywhere we go, equipped with navigators that talk to us, dvd players, ipod and mp3 players, refrigerators, even heated seats. Can you imagine life without all our modern technology? Has your cell phone ever gone dead for hours – it’s a pretty frightening feeling to be cut off from the world – isn’t it? The cost to own real estate is so high that we commute 20-100 miles a day to and from work or school just to have the ultimate “American dream” (a house). I get that – I do it!
Our stress levels are at an all time high. We take out our frustrations on our loved ones at home (we know how we can treat them – sometimes we treat strangers better than we treat our own family members).
We are suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, cancer, back aches, headaches, knee problems, hip problems. The list goes on and on.
We are an extremely sedentary people. A perfect example is the work lunch hour. Do you hop in the car and drive two blocks to the local burger stand to pick up lunch? Why not slip on a pair of tennis shoes and walk? Yes, walk, you know, one foot in front of the other, repeat motion, repeat motion, repeat. Oh, oh, oh, how about this: Do you drive into a shopping center and go into to let’s say Target on new release Tuesday to buy that movie you saw last Christmas. Then, you hop back in the car and move the car over a few parking isles because you need to stop at Ross and see what bargains they’ve got going on that day. Oh look at this, they’ve got their new shipment of workout tanks (even though you don’t workout), but left it there because the companies must have mismarked the items, because you are a true size 8, not 12. Now you get back in the car and move it two stores over to get into Trader Joe’s to pick up some natural almonds and a container of those butter cookies you love so much (what did you say? You didn’t get the fat free or sugar free version because they ran out? Hmmm, at least you tried halfway with those almonds). Oh, look my luck there’s a Starbucks. I’m thirsty from running all these errands – I deserve this little treat. “Yes may I have a venti iced caramel macchiato . . ., yes extra caramel please. Oh, excuse me sir – could you add whipped cream to that. I know it doesn’t come on the drink – I want whipped cream” (ghee whiz – who’s paying for the coffee here!)!
How many times a week do we sit down with our family and share a meal together? We eat on the go or while leaning against the kitchen counter. Our work desk is also a lovely place to enjoy a meal, or even more popular is the “in car dining” (we have become quite efficient at eating and driving). Now I am not exempt from this fine talent. Ask my children and they’ll tell you I could pass out food to my three children and eat a salad while driving. I’ll bet most of us can reach under the seat and find an old french fry, or a trash bag with the remains of a dinner that was eaten before baseball practice. I know we are crunched for time, how do we fit it all in. When do we enjoy our life?
Let’s look at saving a buck or saving a life. It may be cheaper to eat off the dollar menu at the nearest drive thru, but is it worth the calories, the bad doctor visit, and the diagnosis of let’s say diabetes.
How’s that waist band on those jeans, fitting a little bit tighter? That little roll is now a big roll, you’ve stopped buttoning the top button on those pants, or you might have switched to elastic waist bands. Oh, I’m sorry ladies, you might be too trendy for that, how about tights, how many pairs of those things do you own, and how many colors (you know when we find something we like we get it in a few colors). Don’t laugh too hard guys, you might believe you are still a 32 inch waist, but when was the last time you bought a pair of pants (a little snug? I know you don’t like to shop right?). Those oldies but goodies, your 501’s, they will always do the trick, I know the material on those jeans are a little more giving now that jeans are broken in right?
Everyday we hear how exercise can help a multitude of ailments. Knowing that we can fight against diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis (among other things), we still avoid exercise. We know this important information but do we do anything about it? We are l-a-z-y, oh so lazy. We’ve even got exercise programs on cable and we eat while we watch them (honey, on your way back from the bathroom can you bring me some more Oreos, I’m out! – Hurry, they’re starting the series on pilates!). Also, the treadmill that has been in the bedroom for years is now a nifty clothes hanger (old news, new concept: hangers are for clothes, the treadmill is for YOU-WALK!).
Since we’re talking about exercise, here’s one for moms and dads both. When our children are at soccer, baseball or football practice, aren’t we sitting comfortably on our fold up chairs munching on a bag of let’s say chips, nachos, and the super duper sized soft drink (I know it was only a quarter more – come on - put the quarter in the piggy bank – put the money toward the cell phone you are paying for your pre-schooler just in case of an emergency). I know the choices at the snack bar are pretty grim, what’s a person to do.
I think you can agree that with some small modifications we can make big differences in our lives. So you’re living with a lot of pressures and stress, who isn’t. The question is who is putting this pressure on you? You’ve made your schedule, you can change it.
You child has been safely delivered to practice a bit late I might add (the traffic was horrendous –and you were sitting impatiently trying to beat the 6 pm daycare cut-off), so your child had to do 2 laps – but you didn’t have to run the laps, right – you did your part - the point is that you got them there (Suggestion: do the laps with your child – he or she will appreciate your effort (view it as a “free” grown up mommy ‘n me session) and you will burn a few calories, release some stress and feel fabulous afterwards – who cares what anybody else thinks-hey here’s an idea ask someone to join you).
Now with regard to food, we do have choices (of course, now remember you have to WANT A BETTER LIFE AND DO THE PREPARATION WORK). Pack a blanket, a picnic basket, and an ice chest the night before for the family (have your children help you get ready for the picnic – make it fun and share the work- REALLY YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ALL BY YOURSELF). Gather a few items to make a quick dinner at the park before practice. You are late anyway, so why not enjoy the time with your family (what’s 15 or 20 minutes). An easy idea would be a loaf of bread, lean lunch meat (ham or turkey), low fat or non-fat cheese slices, romaine leafs or even better spinach (remember you don’t have to be Popeye or Olive Oyl to enjoy this great vegetable – don’t even ask me who Popeye and Olive Oyl are, how old are you?) and mustard (I know you have a container in the fridge, because you hardly ever use it – use it people – it’s non fat and it perks up a bland sandwich). Take a can of olives and open it at home. You can place one on each finger and eat them off one by one – it causes such fun giggles. Oh, oh - extra benefits – laughing is also contagious and relaxes arteries and increases blood flow – hey 3 for 1, that’s better than a sale at Macy’s). Try a low fat yogurt and pack some of those natural almonds you picked up from Trader Joe’s for an after practice snack, mix them with dried cranberries (uhmmm, sounds yummy) and put them in SNACK SIZE storage bags (WHY?? so you will not eat the whole bag – overindulgence is what’s got us into trouble in the first place – portion control!!!). Now isn’t that a healthier dinner option. Change it up with some PB&J (who cares, have lunch for dinner). You might include another family-hey the party just got bigger – you do dinner one night and the other family prepares dinner the next. Please, p-l-e-a-s-e , P-L-E-A-S-E skip the soda! Drink water, water, water! Hydrate. It’s good for your skin and you can wash out the impurities in your body (cuz you’ll be sweating from those laps you’ll be taking with your child for being late to practice, right?). You can get the water free from your filtered fridge or buy it (w-h-a-t-e-v-e-r, it’s better than a 32 oz big gulp that packs 91 grams of sugar or regular can of soda=10 teaspoons of sugar).
Besides the extra work and healthier food choices what is the purpose of this picnic you ask (I can’t believe you still need more reasons, but sure whatever you need). You will get a life. Yes! Do you know what that means or is that a foreign phrase? A life means you will engage in wonderful conversation with your husband and your children. You will learn about each other’s day (extremely important notice to husbands: if you’re going to ask wifie how her day was, at least listen. Fyi - we are not asking for a fix, we just want to unload – I know you can do it - just listen and be quiet – be sure to make eye contact - otherwise don’t ask). Then there’s the little children. You remember them, those sweet little babies that you brought into the world in a moment of passion. Let’s love them like they deserve. They need hugs and kisses, and we need to be that positive influence in their lives. If you want to know how they are doing, just sit and listen to them. You will quickly discover what it is you are teaching them. You will notice how they are applying those morals, values and manners you taught them. If you hear something you don’t like, before reprimanding you might look to yourself first (it doesn’t have to be in the mirror but I’ll bet you’ll get a better picture when you look at yourself) and figure out if you are the wonderful influence in this child’s life (we can all change gossipy attitudes, judging, talking when its not our turn, putting our two cents in when its none of our business, etc.). So what, we all make mistakes. Good news, you can change!!!
You can also play a fun game like, “what was the highlight of your day” and let that begin the new positive enlightening conversation. The worst that can happen is that you will feel calm and relaxed, you will once again or perhaps for the first time enjoy your family, you will laugh heartily, love deeper than ever and your once hard driven life will seem doable or better yet, amazing, fantastic, superb, magnificent (don’t call me crazy until you try it)!
Now let’s get to the most important day of your week, Sunday. What about Sundays? Well you might remember hearing that it is the Lord’s Day, the day of rest. So a few things you can do to make Sunday holy, respected and restful. God rested on Sunday and he asks you to do the same (who knew?). Don’t do any chores on Sunday (that’s right, give yourself the day off. Yes, it is possible – you’ve got the rest of the week to do whatever it is that you do). Ladies let go of the guilt. I know what you’re feeling, I can feel your pain, I’m a woman too! Give yourself permission to take the day off! Instead have everyone get dressed up and go to church. Set the breakfast table with your best dishes. Oh, oh, oh, another idea - if you have a formal dining room, use it! No television! No, you don’t have to cook. Put some oatmeal or cold cereal out (no sugar –or low sugar if you have to), with some fresh strawberries in desert cups, garnish with a dab of low fat cool whip and sliced almonds, and pick a few flowers from your garden (or perhaps your neighbor’s garden – with permission of course) and then go visit Grandma and Grandpa, they sure could use some smiling faces. You can also make it a play day at the park and invite some friends.
Here’s a great thing you can do everyday of the week: While you are warming up the car and after everyone is buckled up, take a moment and pray out loud for everyone in the car, name each person individually and ask for grace to be nice to others even if they are not nice to you, be a blessing to someone who needs help, pray for your safety on the road today, and thank God for the sunrise this morning (that my friends will set a fabulous tone for your day)! You should pray before each meal to give thanks for your food, and every night before everyone goes to bed take time share the blessings that you noticed today – isn’t he a loving God –if you don’t know it yet you will. You might try opening up the bible. Many families own one but have never opened it. Start with a children’s bible to get the whole family motivated. Read a story each night before turning the lights out with the children – it’s a wonderful daily habit and it will only take a couple of minutes. I know you can do it (I have a home to run also – I know it’s possible).
So what about the chores, who’s going to do the chores. Get up 5 minutes earlier and put a load of wash in, you can get it in the dryer after you are out of the shower (you can fold the clothes when you are watching the Biggest Loser, Dancing with the Stars, or American Idol - who’s your favorite singer?). An even better idea would be to teach the children to do their own wash (think ahead – they will be moving out someday). Clean the bathroom sink right after you brush your teeth (or ask little Cindy to spray Fantasic cleaner on fabulous fantastic Wednesdays). Scrub the walls of the shower in the morning during the week rather than saving all for Saturdays-yuk (or ask your honey to do that little thing for you-you might barter for something he likes – I’m just saying . . .). Mop the kitchen floor with your child – you do six squares, he does six squares (make the task easier with a light steamer mop) – you might be surprised he or she might just do the whole floor because you made it so much fun (don’t forget to put music on-it makes things so much more doable). Have your children quiz you on this week’s vocabulary words – you answer them wrong intentionally and they will correct you – then you’ll know they know their stuff and they just love being smarter than you. Stop rushing around in the evenings, run some errands at lunch time and utilize the stores near work or do without it. If you are cooking at home, ask your honey, “I could really use some help, would you like to cook our dinner or clean up afterwards” (yes, really, ask for help – I had to almost have a nervous breakdown to learn that one – yes, my doctor told me ask for help or increase your stress to the point of heart attack).
I speak from experience, I’ve done all these things and it works. I have enjoyed my life so much more. I found relief from stress and peace not only in the changes that I made with my family, but more importantly peace came with the investment of time I spent with God.
My new relationship with God brought new meaning to my life, a heightened sense of excitement, and a new found energy that I’ve never felt before. I have a beautiful soul that always existed but I never really allowed it to surface, you have one too. You too have a divine purpose for your life and you will find that inner-spirituality that is waiting to bust out.
I’ve changed many things in my life and it’s just the beginning. Now it’s your turn. You’ll feel more relaxed, confident and happier. You’ll acquire more patience and feel satisfaction from the smallest of things. There is a wholeness that will consume you and it will get you from one minute to the next, one situation to another, and one night until dawn. That completeness converts to faith and truth about what you believe and to whom you serve. I learned it’s not about me, it’s about loving others. So, take your mind off yourself and watch what happens. Get back to basics and enjoy life the way God intended it.
Mom- hope the details were pretty close to the truth. I had no time to run it by you – I was too excited – had to get it out! Love you.
Are we having fun yet? Do you ever ask that question when you are running the marathon of your life? Isn’t that how it feels, so many things to do, so little time. We are part of the mass commuters clogging our freeways. We rush from home to dropping off children at school, we go to work, rush back out to get to the day care before it closes, grab dinner on the go, then off to different parks for practice for the children, then home for baths and homework. Whew – when do we get to enjoy ourselves? A little down time would be nice wouldn’t it? Well, let’s take a little journey back in time and see how life has changed over the decades and how we can make some changes that can give us some of our joy back.
Do you recall stories from grandparents and even your own parents about what life was like when they were growing up in the 40’s and 50’s? My mom went down memory lane for me and this is what she shared.
Radio was the big thing in the 40’s, and if by the 50’s you had a 10 inch television you were really “it” (today television consumes most of our free time and we’ve got screens in the living room, kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms, many as large as 60 inches). Do you have any quiet time in your day?
Radio shows like “Intersanction” were popular and families listened to spooky shows that surprised, stunned, frightened, and startled everyone - they would jump out of their seats so caught up in it all. They also listened to the news of the week on radio. This was family time, what is your family time consist of?
Children spent time outside playing dodge ball, skating and riding bikes. Mothers’ made clothes for their children. Families lived in close proximity to each other. You could visit grandma across the neighborhood parkway and aunts, uncles and cousins lived within walking distance (today families are spread out across the state and sometimes the country - pack your weekend suitcases kids and load up the suburban – we’re going to grandma’s house).
Families ate meals together at home (especially dinner), and all were expected to be cleaned up and act properly at the table (no giggling allowed or you were sent to bed without dinner). Meaningful conversations took place at the dining table. Children were not apart of adult conversation. Actually, adult conversations ceased when children entered the room (children thought they were gossiping – who knows, my grandma is not here to tell her side of the story). Otherwise, as the saying goes: children were seen and not heard. Sounds kind of harsh but I imagine this practice kept children naïve to adult affairs until they were ADULTS (our children today are a part of all conversations –they kind of skip childhood and we see them suffering greatly as they live with great responsibilities well beyond their years).
On Sunday’s families dressed in their best and went to church to worship God. People had a fear of God and children feared their parents’ authority (today we lack a real relationship with God and sometimes children seem to run the households). Lots of socializing went on after mass. There was not a rush to get out and get home. In my family, I recall stories about my grandmother having the local priest over for dinner regularly (I did pose that idea once to my children and they thought I was crazy – I didn’t because I knew my grandma did it – interesting how we are influenced).
The “ice man” wore a cape over his back (because of the cold?) and delivered blocks of ice for refrigerators, grabbing the ice blocks with big tongs, while the children chased him trying to collect the ice shavings and drippings of cold water (we don’t wait to see the Sparkletts man much less chase him down the street – we would be arrested and definitely accused of harassment). The “milk man” delivered milk in aluminum containers, and the vegetable man brought fresh vegetables like chiles, bell peppers, potatoes and fruit, with tarps on either side of the bins to protect the perishables. “Nicho”, the “rag man” came through the neighborhood on his horse that pulled his buggy –calling out “rags, rags, rags”, and children would run out with full arms excited to give him clothing (that was how he apparently made a living).
Women for the most part didn’t work, but did plenty of housework in their housecoats (I myself wear an apron). Their duties included ironing and starching of clothing, hanging clothes and sheets outside on the line to dry neatly hung by clothes pins (no dryers), mending socks and the knees of worn out pants, and of course cooking. Often the children had chores, including collecting eggs in the morning from the chicken coop for the day’s breakfast (we’re lucky if we can get someone to go out to the fruit tree and pick an orange – they’d rather have Tampico juice).
On Sundays – yeah – church! This was the special time to receive a message that set the tone for the week. On that day the family also gathered in the living room to read the funnies (comic strips). No housework was allowed and a woman stayed clear of the kitchen (Sunday was one day my grandma didn’t wear an apron), a true day of rest. Sunday was the day that families could pile in the car to go visit relatives (especially grandpa and grandma).
Young adults practiced abstinence. As a rule they didn’t talk about sex nor did they participate (I’m sure there were a few exceptions). No kissing or holding hands was allowed in public and chaperones was a must on a date (now children are having children and I don’t think I even have to talk about hugging and kissing in public in today’s society). Families and children didn’t know when a couple was having marital troubles, all arguments and/or words of any sort were done behind closed doors.
Life was much simpler and much less complicated. The days were not jammed packed with things to do outside of the home, nor did they have toys that stole valuable quality time from their relationships. They walked to get from place to place and did not spend chunks of time traveling from one event to the other. The pace that people lived their life was much slower. Church and family was a priority - people enjoyed their time and each other. Those were the days, oh Happy Days!
Now in 2009 our world is engaged in war, and the United States is in a severe deficit. We are suffering from job loss, bankruptcy, and poverty. In some areas, we are prisoners in our homes. We are afraid to let our children outside to play because we may be victims of robberies, murder, kidnappings, and shootings.
We have also experienced arsonists who have set fires and thousands of victims have become homeless due to someone’s selfish actions. The news media sensationalizes everything from car chases to the outfit a celebrity wore to the Oscars.
The mass public supports talk shows like Jerry Springer where the family dirt is put on national television for all to see (perhaps many stories are staged, but the problem is we are entertained by it). Reality shows that follow pop stars’ lives or even that of a bachelor hog up our evenings, and we use them as the basis of our conversation the next day at work when we’re standing by the water cooler (maybe I’m dating myself with the water cooler thing, I suppose today it’s e-mail and texting – after all who has face to face conversations anymore-unless of course someone is buying you lunch).
We use alcohol and drugs for the high, to escape from our lives, for depression, to lose weight, to sleep, or to go to the bathroom. We tattoo and pierce our bodies and destroy the temple that God gave us (why would we intentionally destroy a work of perfection?) Graffiti has become commonplace on walls where gangs claim territories and in some areas have been allowed to have a wall of markings permanently.
We have gone crazy with physical looks. We’ll spend thousands of dollars on lap bands, breast implants, face lifts, tummy tucks, hair implants, and weight loss. We’ll take drugs and have sperm implanted in our uterus’ to have multiple child births.
We sit in front of the television for hours and surf the internet at home and at work (on company time of course) and our laptops, cell phones and blackberries are the new means of communication.
We sit our children in front of the television to watch cartoons, purple dinosaurs and make millionaires of teenage stars like Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus (who now make more money than professional ball players because we buy all the products they have for sale). We’ll also put on the latest Sponge Bob video to entertain our little ones to keep them out of our hair (ugh), I mean keep them safe and busy while we take care of important stuff, household chores, etc.
We take the car everywhere we go, equipped with navigators that talk to us, dvd players, ipod and mp3 players, refrigerators, even heated seats. Can you imagine life without all our modern technology? Has your cell phone ever gone dead for hours – it’s a pretty frightening feeling to be cut off from the world – isn’t it? The cost to own real estate is so high that we commute 20-100 miles a day to and from work or school just to have the ultimate “American dream” (a house). I get that – I do it!
Our stress levels are at an all time high. We take out our frustrations on our loved ones at home (we know how we can treat them – sometimes we treat strangers better than we treat our own family members).
We are suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, cancer, back aches, headaches, knee problems, hip problems. The list goes on and on.
We are an extremely sedentary people. A perfect example is the work lunch hour. Do you hop in the car and drive two blocks to the local burger stand to pick up lunch? Why not slip on a pair of tennis shoes and walk? Yes, walk, you know, one foot in front of the other, repeat motion, repeat motion, repeat. Oh, oh, oh, how about this: Do you drive into a shopping center and go into to let’s say Target on new release Tuesday to buy that movie you saw last Christmas. Then, you hop back in the car and move the car over a few parking isles because you need to stop at Ross and see what bargains they’ve got going on that day. Oh look at this, they’ve got their new shipment of workout tanks (even though you don’t workout), but left it there because the companies must have mismarked the items, because you are a true size 8, not 12. Now you get back in the car and move it two stores over to get into Trader Joe’s to pick up some natural almonds and a container of those butter cookies you love so much (what did you say? You didn’t get the fat free or sugar free version because they ran out? Hmmm, at least you tried halfway with those almonds). Oh, look my luck there’s a Starbucks. I’m thirsty from running all these errands – I deserve this little treat. “Yes may I have a venti iced caramel macchiato . . ., yes extra caramel please. Oh, excuse me sir – could you add whipped cream to that. I know it doesn’t come on the drink – I want whipped cream” (ghee whiz – who’s paying for the coffee here!)!
How many times a week do we sit down with our family and share a meal together? We eat on the go or while leaning against the kitchen counter. Our work desk is also a lovely place to enjoy a meal, or even more popular is the “in car dining” (we have become quite efficient at eating and driving). Now I am not exempt from this fine talent. Ask my children and they’ll tell you I could pass out food to my three children and eat a salad while driving. I’ll bet most of us can reach under the seat and find an old french fry, or a trash bag with the remains of a dinner that was eaten before baseball practice. I know we are crunched for time, how do we fit it all in. When do we enjoy our life?
Let’s look at saving a buck or saving a life. It may be cheaper to eat off the dollar menu at the nearest drive thru, but is it worth the calories, the bad doctor visit, and the diagnosis of let’s say diabetes.
How’s that waist band on those jeans, fitting a little bit tighter? That little roll is now a big roll, you’ve stopped buttoning the top button on those pants, or you might have switched to elastic waist bands. Oh, I’m sorry ladies, you might be too trendy for that, how about tights, how many pairs of those things do you own, and how many colors (you know when we find something we like we get it in a few colors). Don’t laugh too hard guys, you might believe you are still a 32 inch waist, but when was the last time you bought a pair of pants (a little snug? I know you don’t like to shop right?). Those oldies but goodies, your 501’s, they will always do the trick, I know the material on those jeans are a little more giving now that jeans are broken in right?
Everyday we hear how exercise can help a multitude of ailments. Knowing that we can fight against diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis (among other things), we still avoid exercise. We know this important information but do we do anything about it? We are l-a-z-y, oh so lazy. We’ve even got exercise programs on cable and we eat while we watch them (honey, on your way back from the bathroom can you bring me some more Oreos, I’m out! – Hurry, they’re starting the series on pilates!). Also, the treadmill that has been in the bedroom for years is now a nifty clothes hanger (old news, new concept: hangers are for clothes, the treadmill is for YOU-WALK!).
Since we’re talking about exercise, here’s one for moms and dads both. When our children are at soccer, baseball or football practice, aren’t we sitting comfortably on our fold up chairs munching on a bag of let’s say chips, nachos, and the super duper sized soft drink (I know it was only a quarter more – come on - put the quarter in the piggy bank – put the money toward the cell phone you are paying for your pre-schooler just in case of an emergency). I know the choices at the snack bar are pretty grim, what’s a person to do.
I think you can agree that with some small modifications we can make big differences in our lives. So you’re living with a lot of pressures and stress, who isn’t. The question is who is putting this pressure on you? You’ve made your schedule, you can change it.
You child has been safely delivered to practice a bit late I might add (the traffic was horrendous –and you were sitting impatiently trying to beat the 6 pm daycare cut-off), so your child had to do 2 laps – but you didn’t have to run the laps, right – you did your part - the point is that you got them there (Suggestion: do the laps with your child – he or she will appreciate your effort (view it as a “free” grown up mommy ‘n me session) and you will burn a few calories, release some stress and feel fabulous afterwards – who cares what anybody else thinks-hey here’s an idea ask someone to join you).
Now with regard to food, we do have choices (of course, now remember you have to WANT A BETTER LIFE AND DO THE PREPARATION WORK). Pack a blanket, a picnic basket, and an ice chest the night before for the family (have your children help you get ready for the picnic – make it fun and share the work- REALLY YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ALL BY YOURSELF). Gather a few items to make a quick dinner at the park before practice. You are late anyway, so why not enjoy the time with your family (what’s 15 or 20 minutes). An easy idea would be a loaf of bread, lean lunch meat (ham or turkey), low fat or non-fat cheese slices, romaine leafs or even better spinach (remember you don’t have to be Popeye or Olive Oyl to enjoy this great vegetable – don’t even ask me who Popeye and Olive Oyl are, how old are you?) and mustard (I know you have a container in the fridge, because you hardly ever use it – use it people – it’s non fat and it perks up a bland sandwich). Take a can of olives and open it at home. You can place one on each finger and eat them off one by one – it causes such fun giggles. Oh, oh - extra benefits – laughing is also contagious and relaxes arteries and increases blood flow – hey 3 for 1, that’s better than a sale at Macy’s). Try a low fat yogurt and pack some of those natural almonds you picked up from Trader Joe’s for an after practice snack, mix them with dried cranberries (uhmmm, sounds yummy) and put them in SNACK SIZE storage bags (WHY?? so you will not eat the whole bag – overindulgence is what’s got us into trouble in the first place – portion control!!!). Now isn’t that a healthier dinner option. Change it up with some PB&J (who cares, have lunch for dinner). You might include another family-hey the party just got bigger – you do dinner one night and the other family prepares dinner the next. Please, p-l-e-a-s-e , P-L-E-A-S-E skip the soda! Drink water, water, water! Hydrate. It’s good for your skin and you can wash out the impurities in your body (cuz you’ll be sweating from those laps you’ll be taking with your child for being late to practice, right?). You can get the water free from your filtered fridge or buy it (w-h-a-t-e-v-e-r, it’s better than a 32 oz big gulp that packs 91 grams of sugar or regular can of soda=10 teaspoons of sugar).
Besides the extra work and healthier food choices what is the purpose of this picnic you ask (I can’t believe you still need more reasons, but sure whatever you need). You will get a life. Yes! Do you know what that means or is that a foreign phrase? A life means you will engage in wonderful conversation with your husband and your children. You will learn about each other’s day (extremely important notice to husbands: if you’re going to ask wifie how her day was, at least listen. Fyi - we are not asking for a fix, we just want to unload – I know you can do it - just listen and be quiet – be sure to make eye contact - otherwise don’t ask). Then there’s the little children. You remember them, those sweet little babies that you brought into the world in a moment of passion. Let’s love them like they deserve. They need hugs and kisses, and we need to be that positive influence in their lives. If you want to know how they are doing, just sit and listen to them. You will quickly discover what it is you are teaching them. You will notice how they are applying those morals, values and manners you taught them. If you hear something you don’t like, before reprimanding you might look to yourself first (it doesn’t have to be in the mirror but I’ll bet you’ll get a better picture when you look at yourself) and figure out if you are the wonderful influence in this child’s life (we can all change gossipy attitudes, judging, talking when its not our turn, putting our two cents in when its none of our business, etc.). So what, we all make mistakes. Good news, you can change!!!
You can also play a fun game like, “what was the highlight of your day” and let that begin the new positive enlightening conversation. The worst that can happen is that you will feel calm and relaxed, you will once again or perhaps for the first time enjoy your family, you will laugh heartily, love deeper than ever and your once hard driven life will seem doable or better yet, amazing, fantastic, superb, magnificent (don’t call me crazy until you try it)!
Now let’s get to the most important day of your week, Sunday. What about Sundays? Well you might remember hearing that it is the Lord’s Day, the day of rest. So a few things you can do to make Sunday holy, respected and restful. God rested on Sunday and he asks you to do the same (who knew?). Don’t do any chores on Sunday (that’s right, give yourself the day off. Yes, it is possible – you’ve got the rest of the week to do whatever it is that you do). Ladies let go of the guilt. I know what you’re feeling, I can feel your pain, I’m a woman too! Give yourself permission to take the day off! Instead have everyone get dressed up and go to church. Set the breakfast table with your best dishes. Oh, oh, oh, another idea - if you have a formal dining room, use it! No television! No, you don’t have to cook. Put some oatmeal or cold cereal out (no sugar –or low sugar if you have to), with some fresh strawberries in desert cups, garnish with a dab of low fat cool whip and sliced almonds, and pick a few flowers from your garden (or perhaps your neighbor’s garden – with permission of course) and then go visit Grandma and Grandpa, they sure could use some smiling faces. You can also make it a play day at the park and invite some friends.
Here’s a great thing you can do everyday of the week: While you are warming up the car and after everyone is buckled up, take a moment and pray out loud for everyone in the car, name each person individually and ask for grace to be nice to others even if they are not nice to you, be a blessing to someone who needs help, pray for your safety on the road today, and thank God for the sunrise this morning (that my friends will set a fabulous tone for your day)! You should pray before each meal to give thanks for your food, and every night before everyone goes to bed take time share the blessings that you noticed today – isn’t he a loving God –if you don’t know it yet you will. You might try opening up the bible. Many families own one but have never opened it. Start with a children’s bible to get the whole family motivated. Read a story each night before turning the lights out with the children – it’s a wonderful daily habit and it will only take a couple of minutes. I know you can do it (I have a home to run also – I know it’s possible).
So what about the chores, who’s going to do the chores. Get up 5 minutes earlier and put a load of wash in, you can get it in the dryer after you are out of the shower (you can fold the clothes when you are watching the Biggest Loser, Dancing with the Stars, or American Idol - who’s your favorite singer?). An even better idea would be to teach the children to do their own wash (think ahead – they will be moving out someday). Clean the bathroom sink right after you brush your teeth (or ask little Cindy to spray Fantasic cleaner on fabulous fantastic Wednesdays). Scrub the walls of the shower in the morning during the week rather than saving all for Saturdays-yuk (or ask your honey to do that little thing for you-you might barter for something he likes – I’m just saying . . .). Mop the kitchen floor with your child – you do six squares, he does six squares (make the task easier with a light steamer mop) – you might be surprised he or she might just do the whole floor because you made it so much fun (don’t forget to put music on-it makes things so much more doable). Have your children quiz you on this week’s vocabulary words – you answer them wrong intentionally and they will correct you – then you’ll know they know their stuff and they just love being smarter than you. Stop rushing around in the evenings, run some errands at lunch time and utilize the stores near work or do without it. If you are cooking at home, ask your honey, “I could really use some help, would you like to cook our dinner or clean up afterwards” (yes, really, ask for help – I had to almost have a nervous breakdown to learn that one – yes, my doctor told me ask for help or increase your stress to the point of heart attack).
I speak from experience, I’ve done all these things and it works. I have enjoyed my life so much more. I found relief from stress and peace not only in the changes that I made with my family, but more importantly peace came with the investment of time I spent with God.
My new relationship with God brought new meaning to my life, a heightened sense of excitement, and a new found energy that I’ve never felt before. I have a beautiful soul that always existed but I never really allowed it to surface, you have one too. You too have a divine purpose for your life and you will find that inner-spirituality that is waiting to bust out.
I’ve changed many things in my life and it’s just the beginning. Now it’s your turn. You’ll feel more relaxed, confident and happier. You’ll acquire more patience and feel satisfaction from the smallest of things. There is a wholeness that will consume you and it will get you from one minute to the next, one situation to another, and one night until dawn. That completeness converts to faith and truth about what you believe and to whom you serve. I learned it’s not about me, it’s about loving others. So, take your mind off yourself and watch what happens. Get back to basics and enjoy life the way God intended it.
Mom- hope the details were pretty close to the truth. I had no time to run it by you – I was too excited – had to get it out! Love you.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Pope John Paul II: Words to Live By
Nourish within yourselves the sense of God's presence by listening to his word, by prayer, by the celebration of the sacraments, by service to your brothers and sisters. In this way you will become heralds and witnesses to the loving and saving presence of God in today's world.
Greetings at a visit to the Cathedral of Trnava, Slovakia, September 11, 2003
Greetings at a visit to the Cathedral of Trnava, Slovakia, September 11, 2003
Sunday, May 3, 2009
When something dies something else is born.
When something dies something else is born. If you’ve followed my stories, you might remember that my Father died last December. So many things about the memory of my father bring me great joy, but the reality is that there are moments when I feel great pangs of sorrow. The memory of my Pop is vivid and as much alive today as it was when he was here! It’s amazing how he can still be a part of what I do today. Read on.
Last month, my Dad’s widow, Sandy, went to Thailand for three weeks to visit her mother who is aging and is a little below par with respect to her health. I can’t imagine how difficult it has been for her to be so far away from her mother all these years. I suppose one just grows accustom to one’s circumstances, however, it doesn’t make it any easier we just adapt. I told Sandy that I would house sit while she was gone (as it turns out I used her house to start a new journey – be patient -we’ll get to that).
Each morning I would drive into the neighborhood from the main boulevard, through the alley and into the block to get to Dad and Sandy’s house. I would arrive in the early morning and park the car on the street. I’d unlock the pad lock on the low black wrought iron gate, and apparently it made a familiar sound that alerted my canine welcomers of a visitor. I’d look up in time to see two sets of dark eyes, filled with excitement, peering at me through the front bay window. The vertical blinds now moved horizontally keeping time with their tails and rears that moved side to side like amateur hula girls. Donut is little with white fur and Baby is silver-grey, a much larger dog, both, says their mommies, are mixed terriers (they are new roommates, still feeling each other out and trying to claim their territory in the house and well as with people.).
At first the pooches enjoyed the thought of a visitor. Then as the days passed it turned into “why are YOU here and what have YOU DONE WITH MY MOTHER”! They have both become tri-lingual, their understanding of English, Thai and Tagalog is amazing. Their owners are from Thailand and the Philippines . What they didn’t understand was the language of “silence”. The mornings were quiet and still. The days lacked the clatter of dishes, voices on the television, conversations on the cell phone, the humming of the washing machine, and the roar of the vacuum cleaner. I read, meditated and wrote and I didn’t pay much attention to the little guys because . . . I noticed that when I did they were at my side and wanted to be pet c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y. So, I stopped that immediately! Now don’t get me wrong, I talked to the little pooches, I pet their fur and their underbellies when I first arrived and when we were done with all the formalities, I verbally coaxed them outside because all they did was sleep (okay pooches out you go, go chase a bird or something, go exercise, do whatever dogs do, now go . . . that was a form of communication, right?). I also played “chase the invisible air game”, a routine and form of amusement that Donut engaged in every time I saw her. I’d say, “w-h-a-t, w-h-a-t, what you doing Donut, go, go, go”! She’d run across the tiled floor, her little torso contracted then extended full length, her ears springing and lagging behind her, her head bobbing like the Dodger doll people used to keep on their dashboards in their cars, and she raced from the living room to the door of the bathroom, click, click, click went her nails, back and forth and back and forth, and then she’d s-l-i-d-e stopping just short of hitting the door or couch depending on which lap she was on. She’d do this until I thought she might have a heart attack. All the while, I kept Baby to my left and in the safe zone leaning snugly against the recliner, my body acting as a human shield, protecting her from this insane and intense white flash of fur. My voice was warm and soothing and I worked to calm the growl that showed Baby’s irritation of this fun and much more exciting young spirit, Donut. I’d lightly scratch Baby ever so gently on the top of her dense furry head, stroking her long torso s-l-o-w-l-y, speaking to her s-o-f-t-l-y and l-o-w. That, as it turns out, is all Baby needed. You have to be a woman to do this special morning “duel greeting”, because it takes great multitasking to effectively handle both personalities and both activities simultaneously. One growled, one barked, one pawed, one snapped, one ran, one sat, it was exhausting. Where was I? Oh, yeah, “silence” (don’t worry, I let them back in to eat, sleep for brief periods of time, drink water and out they went again several times before I left).
My sister, LaLa, gave to me a wonderful framed inspirational saying, it reads: “Make time for the quiet moments, as God whispers and the world is loud”. I’ve been inspired by this for quite some time, and have been on a journey to grow closer to God. I decided to implement quiet moments into my mornings at my Dad and Sandy’s house. The hours I spent there were nurturing to my soul. It gave me an opportunity to think about my Dad often, look around his house and imagine how he spent all those years there. I looked at every corner, every nick-nack, wall hanging, and his bed set. I walked the length of the backyard void of grass because of all the fruit trees. I sat in his chair and looked out the same window that he used to view his world. I looked at the pictures that were displayed about the living room and I remember a bitter-sweet feeling in my heart when I’d see the pictures of my Dad and Sandy. I imagine Sandy has had many moments when she didn’t know how to feel, how she would carry on, or how she would find strength. However, we do find ways to move on. We are all going to be okay. You’re going be okay Sandy, we are all going to take care of you!
I immediately established a routine. I like routines; I get more done that way. Each morning I made a couple of cups of green tea and set up shop on the sponge Bob table that belonged to Sandy’s grandchildren the twins, Landon and Lawson. I placed their little 1-1/2 foot high table and chairs in front of the big bay window that faced west (the neighbor’s house, at least they had nice landscaping). The chair that I sat on daily accommodates a 2 year old, so my back hurt often. Sometimes I’d get up from the chair to stretch and my body was still formed in the small 90 degree angle. I’m not usually a glutton for punishment but I felt the most comfortable in this spot and it had the best light. (Sandy, I tried not to use the lights in the house and I definitely did not turn the TV on - was the Edison bill any less?)
My bible, a daily prayer book, inspirational books, and my laptop were my daily staples. Oh yes, and a journal. I’ve never used a journal before, so this was a first for me. This past November my daughters and I were shopping and we found ourselves in an isle that displayed journals and organizers. We browsed and I saw something that caught my attention. “Oooh a journal, how great is that”, I thought. Have you ever had one of those moments when you thought, if you’d asked me ten months ago, I would have thought “that’s crazy, who has time to write in a journal and what in the world would I put in it?” However, that day it seemed like “wow, what a wonderful idea, why didn’t I ever think about that before”. Now for me personally, I had no business shopping today, no not even to buy a little journal. So I turned to my shopping buddies, who you would think should be poorer than me, NOT, and I suggested to my daughter Jacqueline (I told her because she’s the one who usually will pick up on a big hint from Mommy and she usually had money), “If anyone is looking for ideas for a g-r-e-a-t Christmas gift for SOMEONE” and I added, “ it’s inexpensive, it’s appropriate for almost anyone, and it’s here in the store where you work (I held up the journal admiringly, turning it back and forth displaying all its great attributes, revealing no flaws - I felt a bit like Vanna White)! Gee whiz, it doesn’t get any better than that, this is soooo affordable. At $6.99 plus tax and minus your 10% discount, it would be a perfect gift for someone”. I saw it, that little familiar light bulb went on, I saw her eyes twinkle, her left eyebrow slightly arched, and the most minuscule of a smile touched her lips. Oh, I could hardly wait; however, patience would have to get me through to Christmas which was still weeks away (I know it doesn’t take much to make me happy). It was a very nice looking two tone camel colored leather book, with the words “Trust in God” embossed on the front (looking back now, I know that the “God” part is what got me).
THE NEXT DAY, Sunday November 9, 2009 Jacqueline brought the book home to me. I can’t tell you what it did to my heart. I knew she would buy the book, she knows me and knows how I operate (sometimes that can get me into trouble, but not in this case). She wanted to give me a gift she knew would bring me joy, and she couldn’t wait until Christmas. I love that about her, she listens and she acts. (Of course, I gave her a great big hug and made a big fuss over her, that’s just the way I am.) The first entry in my journal (actually the second, the first is a prayer by Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, I’ll share that with you later) reads:
“Jacqueline – Thank you my beautiful baby – you know how to read your mommy. You are a quick responder; you don’t hesitate – that “is love” in its truest form. I do look to you for many things because I know that you possess a kind heart. My wish for you is that you stay true to yourself and not be hardened by the cruelty of the world. I love you Skoots! You are my diamond in the rough.” (Skoots – this should be the first time you are reading this – because you haven’t looked in my journal right? – just joking – my journal is an open book – have at it!)
Okay, again, back to quiet time. Ironically, this quiet time coincidentally coincided with the 40 days of Lent. So I spent 2 hours a day, for at least 20 of the 40 days there. No television, no lights, no people to distract me. Just God ‘n me, it was beautiful.
I became quite inspired by all that I was reading that I quickly began to keep up writing in the journal. I found that there was so much more that I wanted to say and to share (with who, I didn’t know, eventually I thought to anyone that would listen). There were times I found that a page or two wasn’t enough so I powered up the laptop, and was able to gab on and on as long as I liked (have you noticed, I don’t often tell stories in what I call “reader’s digest length”-but I will work on it). I wrote about my thoughts, feelings about life or the people in my life, prayers for myself and for others, poems, songs, reflections on readings from the bible, places or things that bring me inspiration. As a result of this new exciting, enlightening, eye opening, habit-forming way of being, Godinsight4me was born.
I created a kind of mission statement that reads in part:
“What the world needs now is love. The intention is to cultivate a loving community on earth, father the habit of positive thinking, encourage the growth and development of tepid souls, motivate faith-filled people, and save lost sheep. Together we can reeducate, redirect, restructure, remodel, redesign, and renew God’s plan for His people and turn this world into one great melting pot that shares in one victory, one mission, one hope, one body of love, that is worthy of God’s praise and promise of eternity.”
So let me elaborate on “one victory, one mission and one body of love” (because I can – I’m doing the writing). I have an Angel working with me, actually I have many, but let me share a story of one in particular.
Let’s start with Webster ‘s New Dictionary description of “Angel” – n. divine messenger; ministering spirit; person with the qualities of such a spirit, as gentleness, purity, etc.
Her birth name is “Angel”. Angel is my 14 year old niece, my little ray of hope and my Godchild (how ironic is that) who is wise beyond her years. Her Mommy, LaLa a single parent, has worked so hard to give her child good morals and values and anyone that knows them can tell you it’s been quite a journey for Angel to live up to her name. I am so proud of my little sister (and Angel of course). I am amazed at my sister’s strength and courage. Her love is shown through her consistent teachings. I love her dearly.
If you asked LaLa how she does it, she would probably say: actually, it’s been a lot of yelling, scolding, punishing, reprimanding, threatening and hair pulling (wait!! don’t call child services, she pulled on her own grey hair-did I really just say that-sorry- really LaLa has bald spots to prove it!- sorry La–I forgot nobody knows why you wear that cap – just joking – she has a full head of hair – okay La are we good again?). I’d say it’s all been worth it! (Love you sis, YOU’RE THE BEST!).
It was just about midnight when I called my family to announce that I had just went live! My family, they are amazing. That night I had a wonderful cell phone new journey blog launching party. In attendance in no particular order (except for God of course) were God, LaLa, Angel, my niece Desiree and her boyfriend Chris (who has quickly become part of the family, we are hoping that he will make it official sometime soon?!). Then sitting on my side of the phone were my husband Dave and my Son Dave (I know it can be confusing, but we did that Jr. thing – he’ll be okay). Everyone was supportive and offered great ideas for the growth of the blog page. They supported my dream and cause and never called it or me crazy (at least not to my face). Thank you my family – you’re the best!
Angel was one of the first to read my first posting on Godinsight4me.blogspot.com. Her first reaction and her words to me were, “Nini – you made me cry!” I was floored. I just didn’t think about this teenager, at 14 years of age would have any interest or could relate. I began to realize that it doesn’t matter our age, we all have needs, stories and life experiences to share; some are so painful that we want to keep them to ourselves. Sometimes we want to hear about others so that we know we are not alone. We should feel free to express love, pain, anger, joy, sadness, the whole spectrum of emotions. I consoled Angel, told her that it was okay to cry. It was a confirmation that you are alive and you have feelings. I asked Angel if she wouldn’t mind sharing the blog page with her friends, and she agreed without hesitation.
The next school day after I published the first blog Angel shared the “good news” as promised with a few friends, but what I found was more amazing is that she went beyond friends, shared it with some of her teachers, who did in fact share with her that they opened up the blog page and enjoyed their time at Godinsight4me.blog spot.com. In particular, one teacher, Ms. Lewis asked to speak with me. A couple of days later we talked. We had a wonderful conversation, and we shared a few moments of love. It was love. When you reach out to someone to communicate a feeling of hope, understanding, and warmth that is “love” at its best.
Through a personal journey to enrich my own heart, mind, body, and soul and a vision to reach out to others, I saw how God worked quickly and miraculously. The bible says in Luke 11:9 The Answer to Prayer. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Page 1113 in the New American Bible for Catholics.) I love it when that happens! I saw it, God’s miracle traveled quickly: God – me – Family – Angel – friends – teachers – more family - more friends – strangers who will become friends and family - the world! Maybe not today, but it will happen, DREAM BIG PEOPLE! I believe we don’t ask God for enough! I’m ready Lord, give it to me when you think I am ready!
This dream expanded with hearts of love and caused two strangers to talk who perhaps would never have crossed paths, and what’s more is that we talked about the goodness of God and how we need to as a world get closer to him. Talk about good news traveling fast. What’s even more beautiful to discover is that Ms. Lewis is a writer. Her “baby”, is a story that is designed for children. I pray for you Ms. Lewis (actually let’s all pray for Ms. Lewis). Lord, you have given a special gift to Ms. Lewis, we ask that you arrange for her miracle, put the right people in her path, so that her gifts will be shared with others. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ms. Lewis gave me another gift. She told me about a book called “The Gift of Change”, by Marianne Williamson which I highly recommend to all. Thank you Ms. Lewis. It’s confirmation of a world in need of love. The goods news is that there are others who believe in God, his love, and his divine plan for us. We are all called to be ambassadors for Christ. You might be that one person that can make a difference in someone’s life. Reach out beyond your comfort zone. Reach down deep and let the real you be revealed to all. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Start your new journey with this simple prayer:
Lord,
Touch me so that my heart will grow to be charitable;
Lead me onto a road to a faith-filled journey.
Inspire me to love all so that I will know Your Glory;
Mold me into the person that you know I can be.
I ask this in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
When something ends we are forced to deal with its effects on our lives; whether it be a loss of a loved one, change in an occupation, graduation from school, or the end of an ordinary day. Our faith in the outcome for tomorrow will be determined by how we live, share, love, and help each other today. We are not alone on this earth, and in order to co-exist in harmony with a vast world of people we must love them.
Let us open our eyes and hearts to a glorious new way of being, strive for a holy heightened awareness, choose our words carefully, make better choices, improve our thought process, make positive statements, and take steps that move us forward for they will form the path onto which we will walk on our journey through and to the finish line.
May God bless you all!
Last month, my Dad’s widow, Sandy, went to Thailand for three weeks to visit her mother who is aging and is a little below par with respect to her health. I can’t imagine how difficult it has been for her to be so far away from her mother all these years. I suppose one just grows accustom to one’s circumstances, however, it doesn’t make it any easier we just adapt. I told Sandy that I would house sit while she was gone (as it turns out I used her house to start a new journey – be patient -we’ll get to that).
Each morning I would drive into the neighborhood from the main boulevard, through the alley and into the block to get to Dad and Sandy’s house. I would arrive in the early morning and park the car on the street. I’d unlock the pad lock on the low black wrought iron gate, and apparently it made a familiar sound that alerted my canine welcomers of a visitor. I’d look up in time to see two sets of dark eyes, filled with excitement, peering at me through the front bay window. The vertical blinds now moved horizontally keeping time with their tails and rears that moved side to side like amateur hula girls. Donut is little with white fur and Baby is silver-grey, a much larger dog, both, says their mommies, are mixed terriers (they are new roommates, still feeling each other out and trying to claim their territory in the house and well as with people.).
At first the pooches enjoyed the thought of a visitor. Then as the days passed it turned into “why are YOU here and what have YOU DONE WITH MY MOTHER”! They have both become tri-lingual, their understanding of English, Thai and Tagalog is amazing. Their owners are from Thailand and the Philippines . What they didn’t understand was the language of “silence”. The mornings were quiet and still. The days lacked the clatter of dishes, voices on the television, conversations on the cell phone, the humming of the washing machine, and the roar of the vacuum cleaner. I read, meditated and wrote and I didn’t pay much attention to the little guys because . . . I noticed that when I did they were at my side and wanted to be pet c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y. So, I stopped that immediately! Now don’t get me wrong, I talked to the little pooches, I pet their fur and their underbellies when I first arrived and when we were done with all the formalities, I verbally coaxed them outside because all they did was sleep (okay pooches out you go, go chase a bird or something, go exercise, do whatever dogs do, now go . . . that was a form of communication, right?). I also played “chase the invisible air game”, a routine and form of amusement that Donut engaged in every time I saw her. I’d say, “w-h-a-t, w-h-a-t, what you doing Donut, go, go, go”! She’d run across the tiled floor, her little torso contracted then extended full length, her ears springing and lagging behind her, her head bobbing like the Dodger doll people used to keep on their dashboards in their cars, and she raced from the living room to the door of the bathroom, click, click, click went her nails, back and forth and back and forth, and then she’d s-l-i-d-e stopping just short of hitting the door or couch depending on which lap she was on. She’d do this until I thought she might have a heart attack. All the while, I kept Baby to my left and in the safe zone leaning snugly against the recliner, my body acting as a human shield, protecting her from this insane and intense white flash of fur. My voice was warm and soothing and I worked to calm the growl that showed Baby’s irritation of this fun and much more exciting young spirit, Donut. I’d lightly scratch Baby ever so gently on the top of her dense furry head, stroking her long torso s-l-o-w-l-y, speaking to her s-o-f-t-l-y and l-o-w. That, as it turns out, is all Baby needed. You have to be a woman to do this special morning “duel greeting”, because it takes great multitasking to effectively handle both personalities and both activities simultaneously. One growled, one barked, one pawed, one snapped, one ran, one sat, it was exhausting. Where was I? Oh, yeah, “silence” (don’t worry, I let them back in to eat, sleep for brief periods of time, drink water and out they went again several times before I left).
My sister, LaLa, gave to me a wonderful framed inspirational saying, it reads: “Make time for the quiet moments, as God whispers and the world is loud”. I’ve been inspired by this for quite some time, and have been on a journey to grow closer to God. I decided to implement quiet moments into my mornings at my Dad and Sandy’s house. The hours I spent there were nurturing to my soul. It gave me an opportunity to think about my Dad often, look around his house and imagine how he spent all those years there. I looked at every corner, every nick-nack, wall hanging, and his bed set. I walked the length of the backyard void of grass because of all the fruit trees. I sat in his chair and looked out the same window that he used to view his world. I looked at the pictures that were displayed about the living room and I remember a bitter-sweet feeling in my heart when I’d see the pictures of my Dad and Sandy. I imagine Sandy has had many moments when she didn’t know how to feel, how she would carry on, or how she would find strength. However, we do find ways to move on. We are all going to be okay. You’re going be okay Sandy, we are all going to take care of you!
I immediately established a routine. I like routines; I get more done that way. Each morning I made a couple of cups of green tea and set up shop on the sponge Bob table that belonged to Sandy’s grandchildren the twins, Landon and Lawson. I placed their little 1-1/2 foot high table and chairs in front of the big bay window that faced west (the neighbor’s house, at least they had nice landscaping). The chair that I sat on daily accommodates a 2 year old, so my back hurt often. Sometimes I’d get up from the chair to stretch and my body was still formed in the small 90 degree angle. I’m not usually a glutton for punishment but I felt the most comfortable in this spot and it had the best light. (Sandy, I tried not to use the lights in the house and I definitely did not turn the TV on - was the Edison bill any less?)
My bible, a daily prayer book, inspirational books, and my laptop were my daily staples. Oh yes, and a journal. I’ve never used a journal before, so this was a first for me. This past November my daughters and I were shopping and we found ourselves in an isle that displayed journals and organizers. We browsed and I saw something that caught my attention. “Oooh a journal, how great is that”, I thought. Have you ever had one of those moments when you thought, if you’d asked me ten months ago, I would have thought “that’s crazy, who has time to write in a journal and what in the world would I put in it?” However, that day it seemed like “wow, what a wonderful idea, why didn’t I ever think about that before”. Now for me personally, I had no business shopping today, no not even to buy a little journal. So I turned to my shopping buddies, who you would think should be poorer than me, NOT, and I suggested to my daughter Jacqueline (I told her because she’s the one who usually will pick up on a big hint from Mommy and she usually had money), “If anyone is looking for ideas for a g-r-e-a-t Christmas gift for SOMEONE” and I added, “ it’s inexpensive, it’s appropriate for almost anyone, and it’s here in the store where you work (I held up the journal admiringly, turning it back and forth displaying all its great attributes, revealing no flaws - I felt a bit like Vanna White)! Gee whiz, it doesn’t get any better than that, this is soooo affordable. At $6.99 plus tax and minus your 10% discount, it would be a perfect gift for someone”. I saw it, that little familiar light bulb went on, I saw her eyes twinkle, her left eyebrow slightly arched, and the most minuscule of a smile touched her lips. Oh, I could hardly wait; however, patience would have to get me through to Christmas which was still weeks away (I know it doesn’t take much to make me happy). It was a very nice looking two tone camel colored leather book, with the words “Trust in God” embossed on the front (looking back now, I know that the “God” part is what got me).
THE NEXT DAY, Sunday November 9, 2009 Jacqueline brought the book home to me. I can’t tell you what it did to my heart. I knew she would buy the book, she knows me and knows how I operate (sometimes that can get me into trouble, but not in this case). She wanted to give me a gift she knew would bring me joy, and she couldn’t wait until Christmas. I love that about her, she listens and she acts. (Of course, I gave her a great big hug and made a big fuss over her, that’s just the way I am.) The first entry in my journal (actually the second, the first is a prayer by Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, I’ll share that with you later) reads:
“Jacqueline – Thank you my beautiful baby – you know how to read your mommy. You are a quick responder; you don’t hesitate – that “is love” in its truest form. I do look to you for many things because I know that you possess a kind heart. My wish for you is that you stay true to yourself and not be hardened by the cruelty of the world. I love you Skoots! You are my diamond in the rough.” (Skoots – this should be the first time you are reading this – because you haven’t looked in my journal right? – just joking – my journal is an open book – have at it!)
Okay, again, back to quiet time. Ironically, this quiet time coincidentally coincided with the 40 days of Lent. So I spent 2 hours a day, for at least 20 of the 40 days there. No television, no lights, no people to distract me. Just God ‘n me, it was beautiful.
I became quite inspired by all that I was reading that I quickly began to keep up writing in the journal. I found that there was so much more that I wanted to say and to share (with who, I didn’t know, eventually I thought to anyone that would listen). There were times I found that a page or two wasn’t enough so I powered up the laptop, and was able to gab on and on as long as I liked (have you noticed, I don’t often tell stories in what I call “reader’s digest length”-but I will work on it). I wrote about my thoughts, feelings about life or the people in my life, prayers for myself and for others, poems, songs, reflections on readings from the bible, places or things that bring me inspiration. As a result of this new exciting, enlightening, eye opening, habit-forming way of being, Godinsight4me was born.
I created a kind of mission statement that reads in part:
“What the world needs now is love. The intention is to cultivate a loving community on earth, father the habit of positive thinking, encourage the growth and development of tepid souls, motivate faith-filled people, and save lost sheep. Together we can reeducate, redirect, restructure, remodel, redesign, and renew God’s plan for His people and turn this world into one great melting pot that shares in one victory, one mission, one hope, one body of love, that is worthy of God’s praise and promise of eternity.”
So let me elaborate on “one victory, one mission and one body of love” (because I can – I’m doing the writing). I have an Angel working with me, actually I have many, but let me share a story of one in particular.
Let’s start with Webster ‘s New Dictionary description of “Angel” – n. divine messenger; ministering spirit; person with the qualities of such a spirit, as gentleness, purity, etc.
Her birth name is “Angel”. Angel is my 14 year old niece, my little ray of hope and my Godchild (how ironic is that) who is wise beyond her years. Her Mommy, LaLa a single parent, has worked so hard to give her child good morals and values and anyone that knows them can tell you it’s been quite a journey for Angel to live up to her name. I am so proud of my little sister (and Angel of course). I am amazed at my sister’s strength and courage. Her love is shown through her consistent teachings. I love her dearly.
If you asked LaLa how she does it, she would probably say: actually, it’s been a lot of yelling, scolding, punishing, reprimanding, threatening and hair pulling (wait!! don’t call child services, she pulled on her own grey hair-did I really just say that-sorry- really LaLa has bald spots to prove it!- sorry La–I forgot nobody knows why you wear that cap – just joking – she has a full head of hair – okay La are we good again?). I’d say it’s all been worth it! (Love you sis, YOU’RE THE BEST!).
It was just about midnight when I called my family to announce that I had just went live! My family, they are amazing. That night I had a wonderful cell phone new journey blog launching party. In attendance in no particular order (except for God of course) were God, LaLa, Angel, my niece Desiree and her boyfriend Chris (who has quickly become part of the family, we are hoping that he will make it official sometime soon?!). Then sitting on my side of the phone were my husband Dave and my Son Dave (I know it can be confusing, but we did that Jr. thing – he’ll be okay). Everyone was supportive and offered great ideas for the growth of the blog page. They supported my dream and cause and never called it or me crazy (at least not to my face). Thank you my family – you’re the best!
Angel was one of the first to read my first posting on Godinsight4me.blogspot.com. Her first reaction and her words to me were, “Nini – you made me cry!” I was floored. I just didn’t think about this teenager, at 14 years of age would have any interest or could relate. I began to realize that it doesn’t matter our age, we all have needs, stories and life experiences to share; some are so painful that we want to keep them to ourselves. Sometimes we want to hear about others so that we know we are not alone. We should feel free to express love, pain, anger, joy, sadness, the whole spectrum of emotions. I consoled Angel, told her that it was okay to cry. It was a confirmation that you are alive and you have feelings. I asked Angel if she wouldn’t mind sharing the blog page with her friends, and she agreed without hesitation.
The next school day after I published the first blog Angel shared the “good news” as promised with a few friends, but what I found was more amazing is that she went beyond friends, shared it with some of her teachers, who did in fact share with her that they opened up the blog page and enjoyed their time at Godinsight4me.blog spot.com. In particular, one teacher, Ms. Lewis asked to speak with me. A couple of days later we talked. We had a wonderful conversation, and we shared a few moments of love. It was love. When you reach out to someone to communicate a feeling of hope, understanding, and warmth that is “love” at its best.
Through a personal journey to enrich my own heart, mind, body, and soul and a vision to reach out to others, I saw how God worked quickly and miraculously. The bible says in Luke 11:9 The Answer to Prayer. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Page 1113 in the New American Bible for Catholics.) I love it when that happens! I saw it, God’s miracle traveled quickly: God – me – Family – Angel – friends – teachers – more family - more friends – strangers who will become friends and family - the world! Maybe not today, but it will happen, DREAM BIG PEOPLE! I believe we don’t ask God for enough! I’m ready Lord, give it to me when you think I am ready!
This dream expanded with hearts of love and caused two strangers to talk who perhaps would never have crossed paths, and what’s more is that we talked about the goodness of God and how we need to as a world get closer to him. Talk about good news traveling fast. What’s even more beautiful to discover is that Ms. Lewis is a writer. Her “baby”, is a story that is designed for children. I pray for you Ms. Lewis (actually let’s all pray for Ms. Lewis). Lord, you have given a special gift to Ms. Lewis, we ask that you arrange for her miracle, put the right people in her path, so that her gifts will be shared with others. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ms. Lewis gave me another gift. She told me about a book called “The Gift of Change”, by Marianne Williamson which I highly recommend to all. Thank you Ms. Lewis. It’s confirmation of a world in need of love. The goods news is that there are others who believe in God, his love, and his divine plan for us. We are all called to be ambassadors for Christ. You might be that one person that can make a difference in someone’s life. Reach out beyond your comfort zone. Reach down deep and let the real you be revealed to all. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Start your new journey with this simple prayer:
Lord,
Touch me so that my heart will grow to be charitable;
Lead me onto a road to a faith-filled journey.
Inspire me to love all so that I will know Your Glory;
Mold me into the person that you know I can be.
I ask this in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
When something ends we are forced to deal with its effects on our lives; whether it be a loss of a loved one, change in an occupation, graduation from school, or the end of an ordinary day. Our faith in the outcome for tomorrow will be determined by how we live, share, love, and help each other today. We are not alone on this earth, and in order to co-exist in harmony with a vast world of people we must love them.
Let us open our eyes and hearts to a glorious new way of being, strive for a holy heightened awareness, choose our words carefully, make better choices, improve our thought process, make positive statements, and take steps that move us forward for they will form the path onto which we will walk on our journey through and to the finish line.
May God bless you all!
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