12.30.2008

A New Step Forward!

{image from Ms Ladyred's flickr site}

It can often feel as though we are constantly taking steps backwards. This can be an especially poignant feeling in this week when we prepare to summon in a New Year!

But, remember that with every step we take backwards, we should remind ourselves and others that it is an opportunity, not for guilt, but for a new beginning. When our steps move us back on our faith journey, I like to think of those moments as reminders for renewal.

A key to help us unlock the mystery of moving forward in trust was offered to us by St. Francis of Assisi. What we learn from this simple man, whose grace-filled message has reached into the lives of people from many different spiritual traditions, was this:

At the heart of everything is the Gospel, and at the heart of the Gospel is hope!

At the beginning of this New Year, we need a reminder of HOPE! It’s the energy that comes from living with a sense of hope that can motivate us forward. But, as we look toward the future, we need to remind ourselves of the need to put our words into action.

When we welcome in a new beginning in our spiritual lives, we can often find ourselves talking more about the change we want to see, rather than taking action toward making that change a reality. These famous words of St. Francis are words of wisdom for us:

“Go forth and preach the Gospel, use words if necessary”

Whether we are spreading the message of the Gospel, or trying to decide what step to take in our everyday life, we need to remember that more can be done through actions than words. Anyone can talk, but it takes a person of courage to act!

Part of our struggle with this is wrapped up in our ability to play back the failings in our minds again and again. When we think about beginning a new year or a new phase in our life, we certainly apply the lessons we have learned from our mistakes. But, becoming consumed with those lessons can hinder our efforts to move forward.

God simply asks us to recognize when we have stepped back, and then make a commitment to begin anew. Think of the steps forward and backwards that St. Peter took:

Stepping Forward:

Peter said to him in reply, “Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine will never be.” (Matthew 26:33)

Stepping Backward:

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. One of the maids came over to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about!” (Matthew 27:69)

Imagine what Peter’s life would have been if he had simply retreated along a path of guilt and remorse. What would his life mean for us today if he had not recommitted himself to a new beginning?

In our spiritual journeys there is always the promise of a new beginning. There is always the promise of new soil to walk upon. There is always the promise of the strength to take another step.

Are you willing to take yet another step forward?

Many Blessings to All of You, and Happy New Year!

Until next time, we take a sacred pause…

12.17.2008

Merry Christmas!

{image from Ms Ladyred's flickr site}

This is a magical season, and yet even in the midst of the joy, many can feel the weight of loss, worry, or fear. The season doesn't erase the reality of our lives, but it can in many ways be a reminder of that which is greater than all of us - God.


Whatever your reality is at this point, I pray that your experience of Christmas will offer you a glimpse of joy, an experience of laughter and a moment to pause in thanksgiving for all that brings your life meaning.


In honor of all those who take a moment to pause here:



My Christmas Wish For You:


That your spirit stays lifted, in the midst of the imperfection of life…

That your heart is settled with the reality around you…

That your ability to trust in goodness is restored…

That your compassion is revealed in your thoughts, words and deeds…

That your mind is filled with the hope that God has for you today and always…

That your memories of those who are absent will remind you of God’s presence in this life…

That your time spent in these days will be a reflection of the peace of God…

That your laughter will reach everyone around you…

&

Finally, that your breath will carry words of inspiration and joy to all those along your path.


Merry Christmas and God Bless!

In joy,


Susan



Until next time, we take a sacred pause...

12.15.2008

What is Your Story?

{image from Ms Ladyred's flickr site}

As it is for many, this is a busy month for me. So busy, in fact, that on Friday I realized I needed to get going on my Christmas preparations at home. A good plan, I thought, was to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturday to go Christmas shopping, taking advantage of the great extended shopping hours at various retailers. I went to bed early on Friday night, and felt a twinge of excitement at the prospect of shopping by myself, choosing gifts for my family.

At 2:30am that morning, I awoke to a sound that is all too familiar to a mom. My 3 year-old stood in our hallway – sick! I wasn’t sure how long this was going to last, but what I did know was that I was not going Christmas shopping that morning.

As we’ve shared before, we can’t always predict how the tides around us will shift and affect our schedules and plans. But, how we react to these shifts says a lot about “our story”…

I have had the great grace of spending some amazing time with my grandmother recently, and in that time I have had a better sense of “her story.” She has 92 years of lines written for her story, and it’s a blessing to hear it straight from her. This is time that has reminded me of the stories of many women in my life.

These are not perfect stories or ideal stories; but, rather they are stories that have inspired me to want to live a life that it is joyful and purposeful! You see our story is less about what happens to us, and more about how we react to what happens to us. I try to always keep in mind that my character is revealed in my reactions to the situations and people around me.

That’s not to say that my reactions are always great. As an individual with a lot of emotion, I can muster up some pretty good reactions to things. But, understanding that I’m telling a story with my actions, gives me reason to pause and rethink “how” I will react to the events that line my path.

Our stories are ultimately designed by God, but in so many ways our reactions cause us to alter them throughout our lives. What I think we sense as a “tugging” at our heart or a “gut feeling,” is often our need to get back into “God’s Story”.

A great way to reconnect with God’s Story is to begin to tell our own story: share who we are and what is happening to us in all honesty. When we voice our story, it brings to life the reality of where we are, and can help us determine where we are headed. It’s also the way we truly connect with people.

I think in many ways we have gotten away from sharing our stories. We live among many, but few really know us. We hear a lot of “talking” around us, but don’t really “hear” what people are saying. We live in a nation of millions, but so many feel lonely.

When we share our story, I think we are naturally led toward the people and experiences that God intended us to move toward. When we let our pride or insecurity keep us from sharing our story, we can often miss the opportunities that God has in store for us.

What story does your life reveal right now?

What do you think is the story God wants your life to tell?

Until next time, we take a sacred pause…

12.07.2008

Reclaiming our Advent Experience!

{image from Ms Ladyred's flickr site}


This is an amazing time of year. This past week, we got out the kid’s stockings (that’s all) and my son wrapped his arms around my legs and said, “I’m just so happy.” It doesn’t take much, but turning the calendar to December, to evoke joy in people!

But the challenge for us as moms is that most of what brings our family joy in this season is because of our “doing!” And, it’s the “doing” that can drain OUR experience of the holidays.

10 things that can compound the “doing” in this season are:

1. Financial worries (will I be able to do everything I want for family and friends)
2. Time worries (will I have enough time to shop, cook, wrap, sing, laugh, and visit with family…)
3. Spiritual worries (will I stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas…)
4. Emotional worries (will I be able to keep calm amidst the seasonal shift…)
5. Our children’s joy (will they be excited on Christmas morning…)
6. Our children’s joy (will they have the memory of baking Christmas cookies with mom…)
7. Our children’s joy (will they be enveloped in the wonder of the season…)
8. Our children’s joy (will they have enough experiences of Christmas before it’s all over…)
9. Our children’s joy (will we make time to sing carols, decorate a gingerbread house, make homemade gifts for the children to give family members…)
10. Our children’s joy (will they ultimately understand the true meaning of Christmas amidst EVERYTHING and EVERY EXPERIENCE!)

The majority of our worry at this time of the year is wrapped up in our children. We want them to have an understanding of the season, and be caught up in the joy of the Christmas!

This kind of worry can compound our “doing,” leaving us drained -before we know it, the season is over and we are left wondering – “did I even experience Christmas?” I have felt, during Advent, as if my expectations of the season have in various ways propelled me through the season, and I’ve “missed it!”

What we need to do is Reign in the Season!

Slow down and make choices for peaceful celebration of the season:

1. Incorporate an opportunity for joy for yourself this holiday season! Take a day just “to be”! In other words, sip on some coffee, reflect on the gift of the season, and get in touch with the grace that abounds around you.

2. Limit the number of “experiences that you want to have this season” Remember that Advent is 24 days; it will only feel like 24 days if we slow down and truly enter into the experiences of that time. There are many things we can do, but think about a few that you really want to accomplish this year and do them.

Then, let the rest of the month unfold…


3. Make choices for traditions! If you grew up without many traditions, start you own. Or, if you have traditions, but they don’t really fit into your family, spruce them up a bit! Children sometimes recall events from their childhood, but they almost always remember traditions!

Some ideas for New Traditions:

1. Light a candle every Thursday up until Christmas (we do this on Sundays of Advent – but this “Thursday idea” might speak to your family). Make a big deal about it – Call everyone around and light the Christmas candle - use this time to share with your kids what the season is about.

2. Choose a family to do something surprising for. Many people do a lot of service to others in need in this season and I hope you will continue to do this, but this idea is to “treat” a family even if they don’t “need help.” In other words… just because!

3. The week of Christmas, write your children a note each day.
Give them a thought for the day; share with them a tradition from your childhood, or just say, “I’m thinking of you!”

4. A friend suggested this: Take all the Christmas Cards you receive this year and put them in a basket. Then, have the family choose a card from the basket each evening and pray for that family – how awesome is this?!

Most of all - slow down and BREATHE! This is a season, and it too will pass. What do you want to be your memory of this season?

Until next time, we take a sacred pause…




12.03.2008

When Gift is Disguised as Inconvenience!

{image from Ms Ladyred's flickr site}

One morning I began a new prayer routine…

I set my alarm for 5am, settled into my living room, opened up my journal and prepared for my new commitment to prayer...
At 5:05am (and I’m not kidding!) my son walked downstairs and sat next to me. It was as if an internal honing device had gone off in him the minute I awoke!

My first reaction was to say “Are you kidding me? This is my time of quiet; this is my time to be alone.” What I did say was, “Honey, this is mommy’s prayer time and I need to take it, so you’ll just have to sit quietly while I finish.”

Then, an amazing thing happened – nothing. My son didn’t speak; he didn’t move; he just watched me – this one moment did more for my efforts to pass on my faith to my child than any amount of talking that I could do.

So many moments of God’s grace come disguised as inconvenience…

When Jonah was faced with God’s call to serve the people of Nineveh, Jonah saw this as an incredible inconvenience to his ministry, to his level of comfort, and to his willingness to serve. After all, he was spreading the word of God effectively to the people around him, the willing listeners.
In Nineveh, the people weren’t quite as nice. But, it was in fact the people of Nineveh that really needed the message of God at that particular point in time; it was a part of God’s plan.

I like to call it “going with God’s flow.” When I get up in the morning, my words are:
“God, let me meet the needs of the people and experiences that come my way today.”
In other words, when my schedule is disrupted, let me take a deep breath and go with it – there may be a gift in the unexpected moment!

Believe me I love my schedule (and don’t get me started on my lists – oh, how I love lists!), but God is rarely found on my lists; so, for this reason I have learned to welcome the unexpected.

With all the uncertainty in the world, here’s one thing we can count on throughout our journeys of faith: the inconvenient events that line our paths. But, what if we really look at these moments in a different way: what if we let our day unfold, instead of dictating every moment, every experience?
Perhaps in the unexpected, is a message from God to you!

Until next time, we take a sacred pause…