Home For The Holidays

Christmas is the time of year when the world just seems more joyful. The celebration of the birth of Our Savior. Families reunited after long absences. Love filling the air. Little girls and boys excitedly waiting in line to see Santa. 

Ok, maybe my grandson wasn't so excited!  But once he was in the arms of his mother after pictures were taken, the world was safe and happy once again. (Absolutely LOVE these pics Mal and Kev!). Reminds me of the song Home For The Holidays and this verse in particular:

Oh there's no place like home
For the holidays, 'cause no matter 
How far away you roam
If you want to be happy in a million ways
For the holidays, you can't beat
Home, sweet home.

For some, the holidays aren't so warm and fuzzy. Memories of loved ones no longer on this earth are more distinct. Depression is heightened when loneliness sets in. But if we look at the verse from the song above, replace the word "home" with "Christ," there is no other place I would rather be. He is Home. He is safe. And, He wants us to be joyful no matter our circumstances. Cherish all He has given us. Don't take one moment for granted. 

In todays Gospel (Matthew 18:12-14), Jesus affirms every single soul on this earth is worth saving:

Jesus said to his disciples: "What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost."

In Volume Four, Jesus speaks to His lost sheep:

"My little soul, so destined to be loved by Me, allow your soul to lead you for a moment and believe that I want you back in My heart. There is a place here for you and without you, I am alone. I love you as though you were My only child. There is just you and I at this moment. I do not want you to be lost. There is work in My kingdom for you and this work can only be done by you. Please serve, dearest, so that we can begin travelling together. I am waiting for you. I forgive you everything. Come back to Me and you will understand freedom and joy."

Lay apostles, how can you draw closer to Christ this Christmas? Mend a relationship with a distant loved one? Volunteer at a nursing home? Create a safe and loving home for your children and grandchildren to gather? Whatever you do, do it for Christ, sweet Christ!

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of my first Christmas with Jay, two very special little boys -  my grandsons, my girls, my sons-in-law and Christine. I will not take one second for granted and love with all my heart.

God bless,

Bonnie

If You Just Believe

There is a Christmas song from Polar Express called "Believe" sung by a young girl named Jackie Evancho. Her voice is angelic. I love the following words from this song: 

We were dreamers not so long ago.
But one by one we all had to grow up.

When it seems the magic slipped away,
We find it all again on Christmas day...

Believe in what your heart is saying,
Hear the melody that's playing.
There's no time to waste,
There's so much to celebrate.

Believe in what you feel inside,
And give your dreams the wings to fly.
You have everything you need,
If you just believe.

We all do grow up eventually. But that doesn't mean we stop believing. We have been given so much to celebrate, why do we waste so much time being angry, depressed or anxious? Life continues on, day after day, until we are summoned to our heavenly home. Every day you wake up is one more day to build the Kingdom. How can you build it today? God has provided everything we need. Do you believe?  

Todays Gospel (Luke 5:17-26) shows true faith and belief in Christ can move mountains:

One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "As for you, your sins are forgiven."

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?" Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, "What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins?" he said to the one who was paralyzed, "I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."

He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, "We have seen incredible things today."

In Volume Four, Jesus assures us if we have any doubts, all we have to do is pray:

"On this day I want you to tell Me all day long that you believe in Me. You may not feel this. You may have a difficult time even forming the words. But in your heart, all of this day, tell Me this. I can then give you graces that will help your disbelief. We will begin to shift the stubborn doubts sowed by the father of lies. You have nothing to lose. You have tried many other remedies for your discontent. Some of you have abused your bodies in an attempt to quiet the cries of your soul. I want you to think of Me as another remedy for any difficult symptoms you are experiencing. If I do not keep My promise, to grant you peace and joy, then you may continue your search. But you must give Me a chance and to do that you must spend time in silence with Me. Come to a church that houses a tabernacle. Sit before Me in silence. Allow Me to speak to you and I will speak to you. Be brave, little soul."

Lay apostles, if you struggle with doubt, try believing for a day.  Do as Jesus asks in the quote from Volume Four above. Nothing else seems to work, why not try believing? Christmas is the perfect time of year to begin.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of believing. Every day, through Your Graces, I am strengthened and more in love with You.

God bless,
Bonnie

An Advent Talk from Anne a lay apostle

"We are in Advent. Jesus is coming. As a mother, I remember when a new baby was placed in my arms. When I looked down at this infant, she looked at me so seriously and deeply that I was startled. I thought, 'This baby knows everything!' The wisdom that came through the eyes of the little girl amazed me and it was clear that this child had come from heaven. She knew God. It was there in the dignity of her gaze.

We think of Jesus in the manger, a new born baby, destined to be King. He is born helpless, willing to share the intense and aching vulnerability of our humanity. Indeed, he was born to be vulnerable, to submit himself fully to the hatred of those suffering separation from the Father's will. Why do I say that the Lord's executioners and persecutors were suffering? Because, where there is no union with the divine will, there will be no peace. When looking on the scene of the Passion, it would be clear in our humanity that the person we would least like to change places with would be Jesus Christ. But in looking on the scene of the Passion in our spiritual selves, the person we would be most willing to change places with is Jesus Christ. We do not want to be the bad guys in the lives of others. We want to love like Jesus.

Yes, the Lord, Jesus Christ, comes as an infant in a manger and we, His people, wait for Christmas. As I prayed about this, with the expectation and wonder that comes in the mystical contemplation of Christmas, I saw something more. I saw again that, truly, as an apostolate, we are an Advent people. Our whole reason for being mystically assembled around the world is to prepare for Jesus to come again as King. Blessed John Paul II said that we were in the Advent period of the Second Coming. This is simple, but big, like the Great Wall of China. Sometimes, when looking at something big, it is hard to take in and we have to consider it. So let us think. What does it look like to be an Advent people?




Well, I suppose that in order to know what an Advent person looks like, we will each have to look in the mirror, meaning, we will have to study Christ in us, personally. We are THE Advent people. This is THE Advent time. Christ is returning, not just 2000 years ago, but today, at this moment, through each of us. This is the plan. Mary, our mother, received Jesus into her body not only for the people alive at the first Christmas but also for every person, for all time. Mary received Jesus into her body and delivered him for each one of us. Mary, right now, this Advent, desires to deliver Jesus to us personally. Mary was the first Tabernacle and Jesus was happy to be nestled safely in His mother's body. In the same way, Jesus is happy to be nestled safely in each one of our souls. We, like Mary, are called to deliver Christ to others. We, like Mary, will have to be generou s in our hearts to do that. We, like Mary, will have to surrender our plan for our life in order to give birth, through our life, to God's plan for us and for humanity. What we do counts! Our answer, like Mary's, is important.

Did God ask Mary to give one day a week, so that He could be born into the world? Did God say, Mary, have the baby and that will be you finished. Once you deliver the plan, you're done. No. Mary not only delivered the Saviour, Gods' plan for the Redemption of mankind, Mary was called to protect the Saviour, in an on-going way. My friends, we are the same. When we accept Christ, it is not an answer for a moment, but an answer for a lifetime, or, at least, hopefully, from now on. When we say our Allegiance Prayer, we are not giving the ONLY yes of the day, just the first yes of the day. We are called to give a series of yes answers so that the hope that God has brought to us can be delivered to others. God needed Mary to give Him her whole heart and God needs us to give him our whole hearts. In our Catholic faith, we do this by living our vocations fully, completely, in unity with the Magisterium of the Church, as servants to God and to each other , committed witnesses. What are we witnessing to? We are witnessing to Jesus as the baby in the manger, to Jesus as the rejected Victim, lifted high up onto his earthly throne, the cross, and to Jesus as He sits calmly on His heavenly throne as King of all that belongs to His Father.

We are an Advent people. We are called to proclaim the healing message of goodness, of joy that people yearn for, especially at Christmas. As apostles of this Returning King, we are called to live one big Advent season so that others can have hope. My friends, do you remember a time when you had lost hope? And what that felt like? Never forget how that felt because others are suffering that right now.This is why Jesus continually brings us hope.

This is why Jesus urges us again and again to accept hope and why indeed hope is such an important thing. Pope Benedict said, "It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope."

So we ask again, what does an Advent people look like? I'll tell you a story. One day, at a morning Mass, the people saw a different priest come in. He was very old. He was filling in for the parish priest and he made his way slowly and painfully to the altar, using a walker. When it was time for the homily, one would have thought he would skip it. But this priest gave a serious homily, ten minutes, but with the attitude that he had to give everything he had, because he was so old it could be the last time he preached. He urged the people to say the morning offering and he said, "Every day I do the morning offering. I do it fast, before I get out of bed, because getting out of bed is so darn painful I want to make sure I get credit for it." My friends, that elderly American priest is an Advent person.

Next I'll tell you about a young married couple. They had a habit of saying the Rosary each day and tried to do it before they went to bed. One day, the man came home very late and as he got into bed his wife said, "Did you get your Rosary said?" He said, "No. I didn't have time." She said, "Come on. I'll say it with you." So in bed, together, they prayed the Rosary. And the man never woke up. He died in his sleep. My friends, they were an Advent people.

There was a young woman. She lived a life that included a lot of attention and she was in a position of some power and esteem. She had a well developed faith life and a simple relationship with Christ. She said about herself, "Some people say I'm the greatest thing ever. Some people say I'm the worst person in the world. It was confusing for a while. But then I realised, I'm just me in the middle, and God loves me." This young woman, through the simplicity of her relationship with God, neither swelled up in pride nor descended into shame. She is an Advent person.

Yet another young woman, deeply frustrated, late and stressed, struggled to find the way to open the gas cap of a borrowed car. As she anxiously searched for the button, her frustration and aggravation bubbled over and she tearfully began to kick the car. A gas station attendant, a young man, ran out with his hands out saying, 'Whoa Lady, let me help you'. The woman, deeply grateful sat back in relief while the young man found the lever, opened the flap and filled her tank for her. She, with the greatest humility and gratitude, thanked God for the young man and allowed his kindness to act as a benediction, calming and soothing her. Both of them are Advent people.

What do they all have in common? They are all connected to God, doing His will as best they can and living their commitments with fidelity and dignity. They have hope. They recognise God and they try to live their faith. And that is what God is asking of us. In the Gospel Jesus says, "It is not those who say to me, Lord, Lord, who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father."

The question for each one of us is this: What is God's will for me. What is my commitment to God and what does remaining faithful for me, today, at this moment, look like?

We will only find those answers within. Nobody can do this hard work for us. If we do not focus on and live from the Vertical Relationship with Christ, then the plan of Christ, for us and for the world, is at risk. If we drop out of service, the world will feel it. The world will feel our absence from service in many ways, because of the ripple effect of goodness. When one action of kindness is offered, it spreads. When one person is healed, that person goes on to heal others and this is how each of us affects the whole universe when we choose love.

My friends, remember that our Catechism talks about our conscience. People make the mistake of thinking of their conscience as the place where they go to accuse themselves, where they go to be whipped by their failures. People get uncomfortable, afraid. But Christ is not the accuser. He is the consoler. When your conscience is bothering you it is really Jesus saying, 'You need help, Advent person. Come to me so that I can restore your hope, bring you into recovery and replace your wonder'. Our catechism teaches: 'Conscience is mans most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.' (CCC 1795) A sanctuary is a safe place, the safest place. Compare your conscience to the Manger, where the innocent but all powerful infant King is waiting to comfort and protect you. My friends, having experienced purgatory with all of its truth and dignity, I am telling you today that your conscience might just be the o nly safe place for you while you remain alive.In this month's message, (December 2011), Jesus says, your Infant King comes to you with heavenly hope. He says, I instruct you to bring this hope to others, regardless of the circumstances around you.

So, this Advent, let us flee to the manger. The eyes of the Christ child will be looking for us, with the wisdom of all the ages. And He will give us hope."

Clarity

It has taken me a few days to get back in the swing of things. My trip to Ireland was filled with love, faith, friends and clarity.  The Eucharistic Day of Renewal at Holy Trinity Abbey in Kilnacrott, Ireland on 02Dec2012 was more than just gathering with lay apostles. It was a day of clarity. For those visiting the Abbey, Jesus offers the grace of illumination of conscience. To see where we are getting it right . . . and where we need to do better. As usual, Anne's talks were inspiring. During the Holy Hour, I prayed for Jesus to illuminate me . . . and boy did He! One of the promises He makes in the Volumes is conversion of our loved ones.  It is a promise I hold Him to, and, one I ask for daily:

Promise from Jesus to His Lay Apostles

May 12, 2005

Your message to souls remains constant. Welcome each soul to the rescue mission. You may assure each lay apostle that just as they concern themselves with My interests, I will concern Myself with theirs. They will be placed in My Sacred Heart and I will defend and protect them. I will also pursue complete conversion of each of their loved ones. So you see, the souls who serve in this rescue mission as My beloved lay apostles will know peace. The

world cannot make this promise as only heaven can bestow peace on a soul. This is truly heaven’s mission and I call every one of heaven’s children to assist Me. You will be well rewarded, My dear ones.

Back to Holy Hour. I was praying for Jesus to show me where I needed to improve (and to please rank them in order of importance as I know the list is long!). As soon as I asked, He gave it to me. Clear as a sunny day. I proclaim myself a Lay Apostle of Jesus Christ the Returning King. The five guidelines of a lay apostle Anne had just spoken about in her talk popped into my head:

Guidelines for Lay Apostles

As lay apostles of Jesus Christ the Returning King, we agree to perform our basic obligations as practicing Catholics. Additionally, we will adopt the following spiritual practices, as best we can:

1. Allegiance Prayer and Morning Offering, plus a brief prayer for the Holy Father

2. Eucharistic Adoration, one hour per week

3. Prayer Group Participation, monthly, at which we pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary and read the Monthly Message

4. Monthly Confession

5. Further, we will follow the example of Jesus Christ as set out in the Holy Scripture, treating

all others with His patience and kindness.

And then the question Jesus put on my heart.  Was I living those guidelines? Yes, I was, but not exactly. I do try to pray the Allegiance Prayer and Morning Offering every day, but days can escape with out them prayed. I try to spend an hour in Adoration weekly, but weeks can go by without Adoring. I definitely have guideline number 3 down.  I attend our monthly lay apostle prayer group. And then there's Confession. I am getting better, but months can fly by without confessing. The 5th guideline I adhere to daily with others. But am I patient and kind with myself? I'm getting better.  So, my clarity? In order for the conversion of my loved ones, I need to completely perform the above guidelines, which, in fact, aren't very hard to adhere to. Actually, it's the least we all should be doing as practicing Catholics. 

That night, after snuggling into my warm bed at the convent where I stayed (thanks to Catherine for my lifesaving hot water bottle and Emma for cranking the heat up for me!), I called Jay. First thing I said was, our lives were going to change a bit upon my return from Ireland. It was time to truly live as lay apostles. His response?  "Ok . . . let's get a weekly plan in place!" Since I have been back, a plan has emerged and execution of that plan has begun!

Lay apostles, are you following the above guidelines? Not attending a lay apostle prayer group?  Get on directionforourtimes.org to find one (website is down right now, but you can always call the Chicago office at 708-496-9300 to find a group near you). Haven't been to Confession in a while?  Call your church office. Special Reconciliation services are planned for the Advent season (for those in Ft. Myers, St. Cecilia's is offering Confession tomorrow night 11Dec2012 beginning at 7pm). Can't get to Adoration?  There is a website with perpetual Adoration: http://www.savior.org/ to commit your one hour per week to Jesus. We all have the time no matter how busy or tired we think we are. It's time. Begin today.

Thank you, Lord, for my trip to Ireland and the clarity you bestowed upon me there.  It was a glorious trip with so many loving lay apostles surrounding me. And thank you for Jay, who is ready and willing to live life as a lay apostle by my side.  You are so good to me!!!

God bless,

Bonnie

Some pics from my trip to Ireland:

 Catherine, our gracious hostess and amazing cook!

 Catherine and Justin

 Justin, Victor and Michael

 Nancy and Charlie

 Emma - loved staying with you!!!

 Jane and Mary

 Lay apostles from the U.S. and Ireland

 Mary's hand embroidered Jesus Christ the Returning King for Fr. Darragh

 The men cleaning after a lovely dinner

 Love this!

 Ryan, DFOT's IT guy!

 Behind the alter at Holy Trinity Abbey

 Emma selling books at the Abbey

 Holy Hour at the Abbey

 Yes, priests can be fun! Love Fr. Darragh!

 Fr. Darragh and Anne (what a wonderful end to a wonderful day at the Abbey)

 Tracey and Collum (loved hanging with you Tracey!)

Dinner with lay apostles!

More lay apostles  

 Planning meeting at Catherine and Victor's home 

Last night with everyone! Such a blessed trip!

December Monthly Message

Remember that movie "The Jerk" with Steve Martin? Especially the part where he gets the phone book with his name in it?  He says excitedly, "The new phone book's here!  The new phone book's here!" Well, that's how I feel when the Monthly Messages arrive!  This month we actually start with the very first Monthly Message Jesus gave to Anne a lay apostle in December 2004. Even though I've read the message in the past, it is beautiful and applicable to this day . . . right now.

Jesus

"I send graces down upon your world. Indeed, at this time, I begin to flood the world with heavenly graces that will heal souls and convert hearts. Dear children of the one true God, your Saviour prepares to return. I want each one of you to welcome My return to the world. In order to do that, you must quiet your heart and accept the gift of My divine grace. I hold the greatest acceptance and forgiveness for you all. My heart bursts with the love I have for you all. And I am returning to reclaim you all. Children of heaven, feel My joy. The time of desolation for souls is at end. I am returning."

The time has come, lay apostles, to embrace the messages to their fullest and live as Jesus is instructing.  He couldn't have made it any easier! 

God bless,

Bonnie

O Come All Ye Faithful

Today is a very special day for me.  I am enroute to Ireland to spend the weekend with some of the most loving, holy and FUN group of people I know, lay apostles! This weekend's Eucharistic Day of Renewal will be held at Holy Trinity Abbey in Kilnacrott. The Abbey was purchased by Direction for Our Times and Sunday will be a celebration of that purchase. The Gospel today (Matthew 4:18-22) is perfect timing as I journey to the Emerald Isle: 

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

Every committed lay apostle I have been blessed to meet are fishers of men. Living the Gospel and messages from Jesus and all of heaven through Anne imbeds Jesus Christ in our hearts, our minds and our actions.  Holiness is important to lay apostles. We try to live Jesus the best we can, day by day, spreading the words of Christ with love and joy in our hearts. Our only problem is we want EVERYONE to feel what we feel! The love of Jesus Christ the Returning King! O Come All Ye Faithful!

In the June 2012 Monthly Message, Jesus encourages His followers:

"I am pleased when I see holiness increasing in My friends and this increase in holiness is what gives Me hope for the Church. Yes, I am urging My followers toward sacrifice and service and many of you are answering with your whole hearts. You, listening to My words and allowing them to change you, are giving Me great hope. With this hope I push on into the world, confident, that while some resist change, others embrace it. Yes, change is happening, most especially in the heart of every committed apostle. You are becoming holier. As you are becoming holier, My Church is becoming holier. Apostles, hear this call with all seriousness. I, Jesus, have everything needed to advance the Church into greater unity. And I, Jesus, can do this as quickly as you will allow Me."

Lay apostles, pick up your cross and follow Jesus. What have you done today to spread the messages of Jesus in the Gospels and the Volumes?  It doesn't have to be complicated. For example, have you told someone you love them today?  If not, say it!  Have you smiled at a stranger who seems sad? If not, smile! Be joyful and band together with fellow lay apostles around the world to provide what this world so desperately needs . . . hope of salvation. 

Thank you, Lord, for providing what I needed to get to Ireland today. I am so grateful for all the love and support I receive from Jay, all my girls, and the Apostolate of Jesus Christ the Returning King! 

God bless,
Bonnie

You Better Watch Out

Christmas is in the air.  There are radio stations dedicated to playing songs of Santa Claus, reindeer and most importantly, our beloved Savior. Yesterday, as I drove over to watch my grandson, the song "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" played.  It is such a bright and cheery song I remember from my childhood that my Christmas spirit was ignited. Why do I bring this up today? Well, the lyrics came to mind after reading todays Gospel (Luke 21:20-28): 

You better watch out, you better not cry,

You better not pout I'm telling you why,

Santa Claus is coming to town.

We are being told to cheer up and be joyful because happiness is just around the corner. Well, Jesus is telling us the same thing in the Gospel today, just a little more intensely:

Jesus said to his disciples: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of punishment when all the Scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand."

Despite everything happening around us, we need to remain focused on Christ.  The oceans may rage and the winds blow, but our course must be steady, aiming straight for heaven. Never cower in fear, but stand tall knowing salvation is what we are striving for.

In Anne a lay apostle's book Whispers From the Cross, she encourages us to serve as our Blessed Mother and all the saints . . . as co-redeemers:

"And it is for this reason that Mary was crucified with her Son, truly and accurately. Because even as God possessed Mary through her Yes answer, she, in a sense, possessed Him by carrying the Saviour in her body. The Father created her immaculate for this role. He, as Father, craved a mother for His children, a “Yes” to Eve’s “No.” In Mary He created the most beautiful complement to His paternity. As Eve said no to the Father, Mary said yes and as Eve drew God’s children into the fall, Mary leads God’s children into Redemption. Apostles, we are each called to serve after the example of Mary. The Resurrected Christ wants to be presented to others through our yes answer to Him. We think of St. Francis and St. Dominic.

They, by allowing Christ to work through them, participated powerfully in the Redemption of mankind. Indeed, Francis allowed Christ to possess Him so completely that the wounds of the Saviour actually opened out and erupted again into the physicality of mankind. We know that periodically God sends these ‘big hitters’, as it were. Most of us will be smaller versions of this. Can we say that we are less important or that our call to be co-redeemers, or, those who cooperate with Mary and Jesus for mankind is less imperative? No. That is exactly what God’s enemy wants us to think, that we are irrelevant, that our yes answer is of no great importance to the Kingdom. On the contrary, the mystery of the Resurrected Christ is that He has a plan for the redemption of our brothers and sisters that includes each one of us."

Lay apostles, are you serving others, leading them to Christ?  Or, are you only worried about your own salvation? As we become more comfortable with talking the talk and walking the walk, we draw others into the Light of Christ.  Some will follow, and some will turn away. Pray for the latter. I can't imagine not knowing Christ when the time comes for His return. 

Thank you, Lord, for giving me strength and calm knowing I will meet you Face to face some day. And, to prepare myself and others I serve to stand tall in whatever is to come.

God bless,
Bonnie

Adlibbing

Speaking in front of large crowds is something I enjoy.  But only if I know the subject well. I create an outline of main points to keep me on track. And I never rehearse. I don't stand in front of a mirror and practice my speech the night before. I am an "adlibber." A long time ago (in college) I tried writing out my entire speech and memorizing it.  Yeah, not so wonderful when you forget a sentence and your entire brain is searching for what comes next! Let's just say I learned to know my subject well enough to adlib!


Yesterdays Gospel (Luke 21:12-19) made me think about when my faith in Christ is challenged. I am horrible at quoting the Bible, but I remember the stories. I trust He will put the right words into my head when needed, but boy do I want to control what comes out, and I want it to sound eloquent! Jesus has other ideas:

Jesus said to the crowd: "They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

In Anne a lay apostle's book Whispers From the Cross, she points out the importance of paying attention to our adlibbing: 

"There are times when our work requires speech. At those times we should speak and that is our prayer. The difficulty comes with useless talking, pointless communications which then become another distraction offered by God’s enemy to take our hearts from the contemplation of Him. In moments of useless communication when we are not in communion with Jesus, the enemy can come with temptation. Our talk is then subject to a dark influence. Our talk can then become subject to the enemy’s plan. In many ways and on many occasions we have furthered the plan of Satan through talking and other forms of communication that are not willed by heaven. Better we be mute than assist Satan in tearing down what the Lord attempts to build."

Lay apostles, when I found the above quote from Anne this morning, something became quite clear.  Everything that comes out of my mouth should be like a prayer . . . no gossip, no negative humor, no complaining. And, like prayer, honesty, love, kindness and understanding. It's what Christ gives us, so we must give the same to others. So today, speak as if you are praying to Jesus. It's hard, but it's all about baby steps!

Thank you, Lord, for illuminating me with Anne's words today.  I will continue to improve myself and what comes out of my mouth.  I'm going to need a lot of help with the adlibbing!

God bless,

Bonnie