Day 8 of 365 Days with God!

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and
restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers,
grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in
silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
Mother Teresa

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Day 7 of 365 Days with God

If there is one thing I can be sure of it is this: A heart that longs to spend time with God will never be disappointed.  In today’s Responsorial Psalm, King David’s prayer speaks to the heart of those  looking for help and encouragement. And really, aren’t we all? Trusting in God may not always be easy, but it is key to the soul who needs help! And really, don’t we all?

King David’s prayer  reminds us that with a little bit of humilty and courage on our part, our cries to God will never fall on deaf ears. Whether we are just lost and unsure of our purpose, or know we have gone down a wrong path, God will help us in his time and his way!

“But  I believe that I shall enjoy the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!”

King David’s Prayer about Trusting in God. Psalm 25 :13-14

Day 6 of 365 Days with God

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” Right?

Today has been a classic Monday. It started with getting my husband to the airport extremely early; he thought it might be good day to fly to NY and check in with his Long Island Headquarters. (You couldn’t wait a day?) I returned to re-sanitize the cat’s paws (again) because the special girl dined outside last night and didn’t clean her plate!!!!! The older dog appeared to be dealing with her own  sort of digestible issue , and I’m sure the other cat and dog were doing something just as gross or  dumb.  I decided not to panic, I would get to mass and have my quiet time with God.

Here is where the plan quickly began to unravel.  The people who were coming to fix and seal the driveway were 4 hours late. Did I mention in the meantime, my very fragile , disabled , and strong- willed  mother( whose visiting from Florida) decided to venture out solo to her hair appointment. Believe me, this statement reads less harmless than it really is.

My day continued to spin out of control, maybe even a little like yours. So, tonight as I finally sit down, I lift up my tired and weary soul.   My prayer is simple.  Lord, help us when we stumble, give us the grace to serve one another with love,  kindness, and dignity; grant us your peace, and give us a much needed good nights rest!

At Midnight, I will be participating in the repeat of the EWTN Daily Mass that ran this early this morning, and at noon, and at 7pm. Mother Angelica must have known there would be people like me who have days like this. I am so grateful that even when our plans fail and we fall short, God will still meet us right where we are.

“I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” John 16:33

Day 5 of 365 Days with God

There is just something special about a beautiful lazy Sunday afternoon.  The weather is perfect here in the Midwest; the windows are wide open and the fresh air is blowing throughout the house. James Taylor’s greatest hits is on in the background, and all is well- for the moment! In this world that we live in, it’s so easy  to let these moments slip by us. With work, kids, commitments, house cleaning, and everything else that can come our way, the simplicity of life can tend to elude us. Many of us will go to sleep this evening and wonder where the weekend went. So many more people will be facing, yet another evening without power, many will be dealing with flooded homes. We really never know when our beautiful Summer day will turn into a furious storm that will toss us to and fro.  So for the moment I think I will enjoy walking down that country road with a song,  both on my lips and my heart. The winds of change are surely bound to come….they always do!  Lord, give us your grace to accept the winds of change that you allow to cross our path.

Day 4 of 365 Days with God

The Cross of Christ is filled with immense suffering, but it is the ultimate act of love, isn’t it? Today God is calling each one of us to pick up our cross and unite it with his own.  As we may be able to attest, the whole concept of ‘offering it up” is not an easy thing to master. Most of us  want the easy way out, the wider and more traveled road.  I am the ultimate wimp, although I pretend not to be. I am also a pretty good whiner, especially when I have a listening audience. Carrying our  cross of sufferings, hardships, failures, and  disappointments can seem to turn into full time jobs. But, Jesus reminds us  that it is in picking up and carrying that cross we  will be transformed from the inside out. In todays Gospel (Matthew 16: 21-27) Jesus speaks to his disciples about the future of his  own suffering , which Peter did not want to hear about.  But in truth Our Lord  continued, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Help me Lord to continue to understand the true value of what it means to unite my life with yours, including accepting the trials and sufferings of my imperfect life. In gratitude and love, I humbly ask that you grant me the grace to accept the cross you have given me. Grant me  your strength that is filled with all the love I will need to pick it up and carry it to calvary.

Day 3 of 365 Days with God

I’m struggling this Friday evening as I sit down to write this blog. The weather in North Eastern Wisconsin is beautiful.  The day has been full with Mass, Adoration, errands, and two doctor’s appointments. Our family has welcomed a new member,  Michael  Robert , who was born yesterday, and the Green Bay Packers are playing the Colts in another preseason game. Life continues to move along. My car radio has been tuned in all day to FOX on Sirius. It’s been on all day at home too. (I like to keep the animals informed and up to date) The reports of the evacuations continue to come in, and my heart goes out to everyone who is in the storm’s path.  We are told to be anxious about nothing, and to pray about everything.  Yet, how many of us have truly mastered that instruction from our Lord, especially when we are in harms’ way, or are dealing with the unknown? Many folks tonight are uneasy and scared about how this storm will affect their lives, and with good reason.  It might be a nice idea for us all to stop what we are doing and say a heartfelt prayer that all will be well for those who are anxious, scared, and lonely. It might also be a good idea to check in on those who you know are in the storm’s path.

Day 3 of 365 Days with God

I’m struggling this Friday evening as I sit down to write
this blog. The weather in North Eastern Wisconsin is beautiful.  The day has been full with Mass, Adoration, errands, and two doctor’s appointments. Our family has welcomed a new member,  Michael  Robert , who was born yesterday, and the Green  Bay Packers are playing the Colts in another preseason game. Life continues to  move along. My car radio has been tuned in all day to FOX on Sirius. It’s been  on all day at home too. (I like to keep the animals informed and up to date)  The reports of the evacuations continue to come in, and my heart goes out to  everyone who is in the storm’s path.  We  are told to be anxious about nothing, and to pray about everything.  Yet, how many of us have truly mastered that  instruction from our Lord, especially when we are in harms’ way, or are dealing  with unknown? Many folks tonight are uneasy and scared about how this storm  will affect their lives, and with good reason.  It might be a nice idea for us all to stop what  we are doing and say a heartfelt prayer that all will be well for those who are  anxious, scared, and lonely. It might also be a good idea to check in on those  who you know are in the storm’s path.