Women Who Walk By Faith

Have you been kissed by God or heard His heartbeat?

“There is an ancient legend that holds that when an infant is created, God kisses its soul and sings to it. The legend says God’s kiss and His song, as well as the song of the angel, remain in that soul forever – to be called up, cherished, shared and to become the basis of all our songs. But to feel that kiss, to hear that song, requires solitude…. The sound of God’s heartbeat is audible only in a certain solitude and in the gentleness it brings.” Prayer Our Deepest Longing

Have you been kissed by God lately? Have you heard Him tell you He loves you lately? Have you sat intimately with Him, allowing His embrace so that you could hear His heartbeat.

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I think the quote from the book “Prayer Our Deepest Longing” is such a beautiful image of the love of God as our creator and how intimate His relationship has been with us from the time we were formed.

Today, as I contemplated that image in the solitude of my heart, I realized that not only do I long and desire this intimate relationship with God but I also long and desire it with my earthly relationships. I realize that no one on this earth can possess the unconditional love God has for me but I also recognize that there are people in my life that imitate this intimacy of God through Christ in them.

As I have matured in my life and embraced my journey with Christ, I realize how important each person in my life is. Discerning my friendships and those that help guide my direction in my life has become very important. When a doctor performs surgery or any procedure for that matter, he has a set of instruments that are necessary to do the task that he needs to accomplish. The same is the case with an orchestra. To play a certain melody that resonates beautiful sound, the orchestra has to have certain instruments that precisely play certain notes at particular times. I think our friendships and other relationships are instruments in our lives that help guide us in directions that resonate with the very heartbeat of God and “His song” in us. Perhaps, it is in our solitude that we can truly hear the sound of His heartbeat, hear that song and embrace His kiss.

In my life, discerning the relationships that are healthy, the instruments in my journey, has been critical for me to ascend to this summit of solitude where I can lay on the chest of my Lord and hear His heartbeat and embrace His kiss.

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After reading the excerpt of this ancient legend in “Prayer Our Deepest Longing,” I know that His song and His kisses that remain in my soul have been called up, cherished and shared in the intimacy of my dear brothers and sisters I have connected with in my walk with God. Each of my sisters and brothers are the instruments in the song God played for me during my creation as His beautiful daughter. And each of your brothers and sisters that are in your life guiding you along your journey with Christ are the instruments in the orchestra God created just for you to hear His harmonious heartbeat in the beautiful song they play. Embrace your sisters and brothers that guide you closer to God along your faith journey. Share the kiss of the Lord with each of them.

Ripples of the Holy Spirit – are you open to receive them?

Do you struggle with listening and hearing God? Do you struggle with being still and resting in His presence? How about being open to everything around you and how He will speak to you or reveal Himself to you?

Do a little exercise. Get in a comfortable place, somewhere that is peaceful for you. Perhaps a place where you have experienced God before. Take two deep breaths and release them.

Now, imagine you are sitting next to a calm lake. The water is still. There is absolutely no observable movement on the surface. The surface is flat throughout. It is absolutely undisturbed.

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Now close your eyes, keeping this image with you. Imagine you are this body of water. You are still. Your mind is clear. Your body is at rest. Allow the Holy Spirit to drop something into this body of water, into your presence, your being. Open your mind to receive it. Release all the pressures of the day and receive what God is offering you in this moment. Do you hear a whisper, feel something within, or envision something? Perhaps it’s a word? Perhaps it’s an answer to something you’ve been discerning to do? Perhaps it’s an object or a scenery? May be it’s a person’s face? Or perhaps it’s a feeling of love embracing you?

Does it make a ripple when it hits the surface of stillness within you? Do you have an overwhelming feeling throughout your body? A feeling of joy, comfort, or rest? May be you feel a peace of some resolution that has taken place within or that needs to take place? Whatever it is, soak it up. Stay in this moment and rest.

Just as the stillness of the water creates a ripple through the lake when something is dropped within it, does our inner space when we allow the Holy Spirit to drop His thoughts upon us.

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The ripples fill the lake as the Holy Spirit fills us. The ripples are only bound by the edges of the lake. We too place boundaries upon the ripples in our lives when we aren’t open to receiving all the Holy Spirit has to give us. His presence is boundless if we are open to it.

Open your eyes and always be prepared for God’s surprises. Let Him drop a single thought into your mind, a single smell of freshness into your nose, a song of beauty resonating in your ears, and a sight of art and feel His love surrounding you. God presents Himself to you in everything around you. He whispers to you His plans for goodness in your life and fills you with rest in times of despair. The key to it all is being open to receive it. Allow your Heavenly Father to walk your journey with you today. He seeks your friendship and will drop His very thoughts into your being, creating ripples in your life that are endless and perfect. Trust in His will for you and joy will overflow from you as the water overflows from any body of water when it fills every ounce of its reservoir.

Is your deepest desire a communal relationship with God?

“…our belonging to God, our deep bond with him, a relationship that gives meaning to our whole life and keeps us resolute, in communion with him, even during the most difficult and troubled moments” Pope Francis

What is your deepest desire? Is it a communal relationship with God? These are both good questions to ponder and reflect on today as you read the Gospel of John, chapter 6.

Todays Gospel reading is one of my favorites. In fact the series of the Gospel of John, chapter 6, has always been my favorite series at Mass. I think the reason is that over the years, I have realized the true meaning of the Eucharist in my life. It is the “communion with Him”. Before receiving the Eucharist, my heart desires so greatly to be consumed by Jesus as I consume His body and blood and when I receive the Eucharist at Mass, I receive this gift of Jesus’ presence within me that is like no other.

Today at Mass, something happened that brought a deeper meaning to me in the blessings and healing of the Eucharist and the communion with God. Just before Mass, I was reading The Better Part which is reflections on the Gospel. In The Better Part, Christ as friend, I had read

“You want more out of your life; I do too. I am what you’re looking for. Know me better; listen to me; trust me more.”

Today, before the consecration of the bread and wine, I heard this small voice whisper to me to offer up this Mass for my ex-husband. A little resistant at first, I remember thinking that is a lot to ask and not so easy today. After recalling what I had read before Mass, I knew that when the body and blood were raised up, I was to offer the Mass up for my ex-husband. I was to listen to that inner voice and trust that Jesus knew me better and knew what I needed today. So, I offered the Mass up for my ex. After receiving communion, when I went back to my pew to pray, I felt a release as tears cleansed me while I prayed.

I wanted to share this because I think this is an example of desiring and embracing a communal relationship with God. It’s through the Eucharist that the communal bond – as Father mentioned today – with Jesus as the wedding ring, a union between man and God takes place.

Jesus says in the Gospel today,

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” John 6:35

If you do not believe or have trouble believing that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, read the Gospel of John, chapter 6 carefully and let the words soak in – ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read this beautiful reading. He came to earth to not only die for us but to give us life and fulfill us by being present with us in this beautiful Sacrament.

Are you searching for God today?

“Faith is trusting that what God reveals is true; hope is trusting that what he promises will come about; love is trusting that what he asks us to do is what we should do. If we put our trust in God, and not in ourselves, we will find God.” The Better Part

Is God at the center of your life? Or have you been searching for Him, seeking Him? Have you prayed for His help lately and wonder if He will ever answer you?

About a week ago, my precious little one, was struggling with something. I asked her if she had been praying about it. She looked at me with a hint of frustration and told me she had but God just takes too long. I chuckled but a part of me certainly knew where she was coming from.

Many years ago, when I started my faith journey, I remember reading something about searching for God. The analogy that the author used was that of a storm. Sort of interesting… no, I’m not going to explain the wrath of God. What she said hit me in a very deep way. She explained that in the midst of the storm in life, the hurricane in my case, we are so focused on the outside. We search and search for God in the storm – in the rain, the lightening and the wind; but we don’t feel Him, we don’t see Him. We wonder where is He? Why isn’t He present with us? What she goes on to explain is that when we transition into the eye of the storm, hence my hurricane, we realize that is where God is present. He has been there the entire time. He is in the center, the calm of the storm. We didn’t need to search. We didn’t need to yell out to Him, seeking Him. He was there waiting for us.

blue body of water with orange thunder — Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

One of the Gospel readings last week was Matthew 11:25-30. In this reading, Jesus says ” Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” Christ teaches us that when ‘we put our trust in God, and not in ourselves, we will find God’. Isn’t that what happens when we transition to the calm of the storm. It is in that moment, we place our trust in God. And in that moment we feel His very essence of comfort and love that gives us hope and grounds us in our faith.

I have had a number of storms in my life and today when I reflect on those storms, I see God’s hands embracing me. I see His presence with me in the storm but at the moment I was so focused on the storm that I couldn’t see Him, I couldn’t feel Him and I cried out in prayer. Just as my daughter stated, I felt some days that He took a long time to answer. Listen to the lyrics to “Just Be Held”, by Casting Crowns.

“If your eyes are on the storm, you’ll wonder if I love you still. But if your eyes are on the cross, you’ll know I always have and I always will.”

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Today, if you are in the midst of a storm, perhaps a hurricane, know that God is there. Go to the eye of the storm, the center, focusing on the cross and anchor your faith, hope and love, trusting in God and not yourself to calm the storm swirling around you.

Which path will you choose?

“Never say or do anything until you have asked yourself whether it will be pleasing to God, good for yourself, and edifying to your neighbor.” St Ignatius of Loyola

In discernment, there are always two paths. One leads to God’s will and the other to your will. Which will you choose? And how do you know which is which?

I think these two paths can be broken down into more paths in the decision making. Each can have a variety of answers aligned with God’s will or your will; but there are always two main paths.

Today is the feast day of St Ignatius of Loyola. St Ignatius started the society of Jesus and is also known for his spiritual exercises. In his spiritual exercises, he teaches his pupils to meditate in prayer, seeking indifference, to contemplate their feelings and to ponder the spiritual movement of those feelings.

Why feelings? Our feelings tell us what our deepest desires are. If God has control over our desires and He places them in our hearts, then we should search our deepest desires for direction. Just as in the picture above where a red flower has grown in the center of the trees between the two paths, God is at the center of our being. When we have feelings that are joyful, satisfying, fulfilling that gives us life coming from this core, then we know with no uncertainty those are from God. The choices in life that produce these feelings within that center are from God. This, my friends, leads us to the path aligned with the will of God.

What happens if I choose the other path, the path of my will? Will I be struck down by lightening? Will God be disappointed in me? By no means will God bring wrath upon you or discontent. There are no wrong paths as long as they do not involve sin. God will walk with you no matter the path. A wise person told me the flower in the middle of the path can also represent that God will bring fruition on both paths, whichever we choose.

Why discern if God will bring fruition upon either path? I think it is important to search and make the best choice. Perhaps in doing so, one will bring more joy and peace in fulfilling the will of God and the other less. One will be more life giving than the other, yet God is still present in both.

As you discern your life choices, don’t forget to include God in your discernment. Don’t forget to search deep within to identify with your deepest desire and ponder the feelings that bring exuberant life.

Your measuring stick or God’s?

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire!” St. Catherine of Siena

Do you carry around a measuring stick? Is your measuring stick perfection? Or is your measuring stick someone else? Are you constantly pulling it out and measuring yourself against it? When you don’t measure up, do you beat yourself up over it?

Food for thought and a real struggle for many of us.

I guarantee I’ve been pulling mine out a lot. One of the toughest job roles I have is being a mom. This is the role I pull out my measuring stick the most to compare against. In this role, I feel I have to be perfect. Why? Because God entrusted these two souls into my care. There is one person that knows my parenting better than my kids. She can attest that I evaluate my parenting style and if it isn’t working I adjust. At the end of the day, I still do not meet the measuring stick of perfection and it leaves me feeling I am not good enough.

The Blessed Mother, Mary, is the ideal mother. She exhibits total trust in God. She is a very humble and loving mother to our Lord and to us as her spiritual children. She is the role model that I look to as a mother. My own relationship with my mother hasn’t been the greatest and there are a lot of things about mothering that I don’t quite get or understand. Often I feel like I am treading water with my good intentions of teaching my children to love God above all things, read the Bible, practice their faith, be respectful, accountable, honest and kind. Then there are these moments of affirmation in things my girls say or do that confirm I don’t have to be perfect in my sense of perfection, according to my measuring stick. I only have to fulfill the things that God asks me to do as their mother and allow Him to do the rest. When I do as He asks me, I am fulfilling this role in perfection, in God’s perfection – not my ideal measuring stick I have tucked away.

I always have to chuckle at God’s hidden messages. I had started writing this last night and this morning I read a memory on my Facebook page from 2013 where I was reflecting, at the pond at work, what my oldest daughter had told me. She had told me that she told her friends that God made everything perfect, even the trees.

I think children hold the secrets to life sometimes. If even the trees are perfect then so am I. I think the key to that perfection is conforming to God’s will in my life, just as the trees conform to all God provides.

nature forest trees park — Photo by veeterzy on Pexels.com

As my role as a mother, there are two most important things that I can do for my children in conforming to that will and that is to teach them to love God above all things and to look to Him for guidance in making the right choices. If I instill these two values in them, everything else doesn’t really matter. They will make mistakes and I will make mistakes but if we always come back to those key learnings, our life will be perfect, perfect in conformity to God and not a measuring stick in my pocket.

This applies to all things in our lives, not just our roles in life. Often we have trouble loving ourselves because we compare ourselves to others or perfect ideals on our measuring sticks. We only see our faults and never feel good enough. Our flaws are like neon signs and they tend to take away any peace that Jesus has given us. Today, chunk your measuring stick of PERFECTION in the trash. Tell yourself you will not pull it out again. Look within at the person God created you to be and place your trust in Him, conforming to all He has in store for you and that is where you achieve PERFECTION. You are perfectly made to love and be loved. Don’t let lies of the enemy tell you any different.

Toxicity in relationships

“So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:14-17

Are you a victim of a toxic relationship? Have you been a victim of a toxic relationship?

In the chemical industry, toxicity is always a concern with certain chemicals. We are always made aware of the toxicity of the things we work with and how to safely handle them through labels or safety data sheets. In some cases, we have to put on layers of protective equipment to protect us from exposure to the toxic chemical. It is the awareness that something is toxic that triggers our response to protect ourselves with additional safety gear.

purple liquid poison on brown wooden surface — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

In relationships, we often don’t receive this awareness. There are no labels or documents that come with the people we are engaged in a relationship with. The toxicity is not revealed until we are embedded in the relationship. In some cases, as with a family member, it has always been a part of our life. And in many instances, it goes unrealized, it’s just normal.

What does a toxic relationship look like? Webster defines toxic as containing poisonous material that is capable of death. If you have been in or are in a relationship with a spouse, a friend, or a family member and you feel they are draining the life out of you, there is a high probability you were in or still are in a toxic relationship.

So, how do you deal with toxicity, especially with people you love? How do you protect yourself from the poison that is capable of death, death of your spirit? Perhaps the answer is the armor of God?

ancient antique armor armour — Photo by Maria Pop on Pexels.com

What do you think the armor of God is that is mentioned in Ephesians 6:14-17? I think the armor of God that is stated in Ephesians is Jesus, the truth that gives us righteousness through His love and His peace that no one can take away. It is our faith in this truth, love and peace and it is the Holy Spirit that guides us in the word of God, establishing our faith in Christ.

You may say, okay that’s nice. I get that but how does this help me in my toxic relationship or dealing with the affects of a past toxic relationship?

If the relationship is life threatening, seek help. You may need to leave the relationship.

If the relationship is causing spiritual death or has caused spiritual death, start in prayer. Seek God’s help. Pray for the person and forgive the person. Embrace the word of God by reading the Bible. Embrace the forgiveness and love of Christ. Soak up Christ’s peace through the Eucharist and know that the person cannot take this away unless you allow them to. Become a warrior with the armor of God on and the army of your community supporting you on the battlefield in prayer.

We alone cannot fight toxicity but God can do it for us. It is our faith and trust in Him that allow us to wear His armor and shield our hearts from the venom present in the relationship. Don’t allow toxicity to poison you and cause spiritual death within you. Protect yourself with “the armor of God”.