Monday, June 29, 2015

Shut Out Negativity

Jay and I have had many conversations in our time together about being around negative people. It's very easy to be drawn into conversations leading nowhere, commiserating with their experience from situations I experienced long ago. It takes actual concentration to turn those conversations around, focusing on the positive. A few years ago I had a conversation with a young man. He complained about his job, and how unfair his boss was . . . yada, yada, yada. I have had difficult bosses in the past, so I can understand the frustration. But with age comes wisdom, right? I took my shot at turning his annoyance into empathy by explaining we never know the lives people lead when they are not at work. Some wear their emotions on their sleeve . . . and some hide despair appearing upbeat and happy. He listened and agreed we never know what's behind angry words. Then proceeded to complain some more!  The lesson I left with? I needed to add another virtue to work on . . . not letting negative talk emerge from my mouth in any way, shape or form. My goal is remembering to be more of Him and less of me. 

In todays Gospel (Matthew 16:13-19) Jesus shows us how faith in Him leads to the gates of heaven:

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply,  “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

In the Monthly Message of July 2012, Jesus asks us to faithfully be His messengers on earth:

"Dearest apostles, to make way for your King you will have to fall back from drawing attention to yourself. One falls back, in this instance, by giving constant credit to the One who is fighting the battles and winning the souls. And the war is for souls, dear apostles. I am craving allegiance from all of God’s children because I am craving what is good for them. Those who are away from Me must see the goodness in you. You are truly offering the best possible message for everyone you encounter. Your message is one of love and welcome and you give the message as the messenger of the King. Be at peace. I am all powerful and you are on the side of heaven."

Lay apostles, how are you handling negativity in your life? Whether it comes from your mouth or another's, be conscious of what you say and how you act. We can't force anyone to be happy or positive. This is a harsh reality. I desperately try to lead others to this mission. The words of Christ and all of heaven push me to be more humble, acquire patience and trust in Him always, and most importantly, love those I come in contact with on a daily basis. Responsibility for our actions is just that . . . our actions. So, focus on praying more. Read spiritual literature daily. Grow closer to Our Lord. Shut out the negativity by remembering Christ is always by your side . . . always!

Thank you, Lord, for helping me focus on the positive when there is so much negative in the world. But especially help me to shine Your Light to change the hearts of those in need.

God bless,
Bonnie

Thursday, June 25, 2015

In Lieu of Anger

Old triggers . . . something I thought I would never separate from. But I have (for the most part!). I am convinced Jesus has been working on this hurdle with me since I first read Volume One back in 2006. After 9 years of being immersed in this mission, I am happy to say He has finally broken through the barrier. The other day someone called me with information which, in the past, would have triggered an outburst of insecurity. But instead, I found myself calm, looking past the message of the caller. In lieu of anger, I was presented with an opportunity to pray for His Strength and Guidance. When Jesus is in your heart, I mean really in your heart, it is so much easier to live a peaceful life.  

Todays Gospel (Matthew 7:21-29) is quite blunt . . . actions speak louder than words:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.


In Anne a lay apostle's book Lesson in Love, she teaches us that only we as individuals can soothe the ache of our absence in Our Heavenly Father's heart:


"The Father’s total devotion to each one of us is actively expressed in the presence of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ crucified in the timelessness or the eternal present that is truth, longs for comfort from each one of us personally. The hunger of the Lover for the beloved can only be satisfied by one person, that is, the beloved. It is not possible for any one or any thing to provide the consolation that can quench the thirst poor Jesus crucified feels for each one of us. God, in His pure love, desires a love response from each of us in this way. Imagine the Lord’s painful longing on the cross. Because of this true bond of intimacy, between the Creator and the created, God is vulnerable to being wounded in the person of Jesus Christ. The longing He feels for each one of us insures that He feels a painful craving for, as an example, my love. My love and devotion will satisfy His longing for me, but it will not satisfy His hunger for the reader’s love. I am saying that our devotion to Him will console Him in His pain, but nothing can replace His ache for each individual and this is why the vertical relationship between Jesus Christ and each person is irreplaceable and unrepeatable.

Once I prayed to St. Therese and told her that I loved her. She began to speak and said, 'I love you, too, Anne, and we are all linked together because the love of God is such a force that it fills us all in heaven and flows out through us and between us and through us also to each person on earth. Our brothers and sisters on earth, meaning the Church militant, experience the same thing, albeit imperfectly because of their remaining humanity, but it is God’s love and the reciprocal response of love for God which bonds us together.' Yes, only the beloved can ease the terrible ache and pain Jesus feels. Even the smallest glance of love from us, the Lord’s beloved, can provide relief, joy and intimacy for Him. We must never underestimate our power to console and comfort the Divine Victim. Once the Lover claims the heart of His beloved, meaning each one of us, He can rest in the commitment of His beloved and in that relative security He can then see about other affairs through us and together with us, proceeding, as it were, from the solid foundation that is the bond. The two, Jesus and the individual, proceed as one."

Lay apostles, do you perceive each threat or attempt to disrupt your peace by another a chance to rely on Christ? Or, do you blow up repeating old habits of reacting to triggers? It is not a quick process, but with Jesus by our side at all times, we can change. So, if something triggers an old wound today, be calm and ask Jesus to send some graces to help you through it. He will never fail you.

Thank you, Lord, for the work You have done in my heart and soul. And, thanks for all Your Patience while I got here!

God bless,
Bonnie

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

What Is Your Calling?

One thing I know for sure, Our Lord has big plans for my husband Jay and me. The people he has surrounded us with, quite frankly, blow my mind. Good people trying to make a positive change in the world . . . some on a smaller scale within their own family or community. And, some on a larger scale, aiming to make the world a more compassionate, humane and positive place. I see friends dealing with tragedy and/or health issues accepting outcomes as His Will so beautifully . . . I draw strength from them easing any issues coming my way. I see our daughters striving to live their lives for Christ to the best of their ability . . . by loving their husbands/children, boyfriend, dogs, and those they work with.  Then we have those on the larger scale making an impact. Shane Jeremy James and his World Movement - Actions of Compassion (AOC). This young man is working non-stop to help ease the difficulties we all encounter on a daily basis. It's about serving others, not self-serving. It's about focusing on the needs of others . . . whether it is a smile, a meal, or a cup of coffee, he encourages us to make a difference no matter how big or how small . . . just do something compassionate. Then there is Anthony and Rachel Amos (and their three beautiful children!). This amazing Aussie family is preparing to travel the U.S. for 18 months, visiting 50 states, with 30,000 miles routed in an RV. As dog lovers, they're passionate about the well-being of dogs and want to raise awareness of the numerous benefits of animal adoption. Their goal is to raise $1 million for animal shelters and bathe 25,000 dogs while teaching their children about our beautiful country, the USA, and the value of giving back. The Bathe To Save tour begins mid-July. Jay and I feel so blessed to know these incredible people and we love them dearly. Please keep both AOC and the Bathe to Save tour in your prayers! And, if you see or hear about either of them coming to your home town, step up and be a part of changing this beautiful world our Good Lord created!

Todays Gospel (Luke 1:5-17) is all about grasping your calling in both hands with joy, despite challenges that lay ahead:

In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. John will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn their hearts toward their children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

In Heaven Speaks About Stress, St. Padre Pio has some good advice when you are feeling called:

"Concentrate not on how others are loving you or not loving you. Jesus loves you enough for everyone on the planet with you at any given time. Concentrate on how Jesus is able to flow His love through you to others. This is the Renewal. This is the process of the Second Coming which has begun. Jesus returns to the earth through each one of His beloved apostles. If you are thinking that perhaps you are not called to be His apostle, let me clear that up immediately and state, with all certainty, that Jesus is calling you. You are called. You must answer. Follow Him and you will find your stress fading away, even in the greatest of trials and temptations."

Lay apostles, what is your calling? A nurse, a physician, a mother, a father, a dog washer, a social media guru, or a franchise owner to name a small few? Think about who you serve. Are you changing lives for the better? Is it for selfish reasons or because you genuinely care about God's creations? Become a part of AOC or the Bathe to Save tour. Click on the links above and support these beautiful people. And, have some fun doing it!

Thank you, Lord, for Shane, Anthony, Rachel, Isabella, Austin, and Aria. Please bless their callings and surround them with graces needed to change the world! And thank You for the great blessing of my husband Jay who is by my side and supportive in everything I do!

God bless,
Bonnie 

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Do Unto Others

My worst fear as a teenager? That my secret would be discovered. It was complete torture trying to hide it. I knew if my friends found out, let alone a boy I liked, it would be . . . well, embarrassing. Yes, I am talking about my curly hair. I did everything in my power to straighten it, and we are talking before the brilliant invention of flatirons! Hollowed out metal coffee cans bobby pinned to the top of my head; hot rollers (which still gave me curls!); and even tried ironing it once because I saw my oldest sister doing it. The point I want to make is, nothing else mattered at the time. I had no other fears. And I took most of my angst out on my younger sister. I didn't care about consequences or how much I hurt her with harsh criticisms. My mother would always say, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." My response? Bring it on. I really could care less what my stupid little sister had to say. I always had a better zinger to boomerang right back at her. We were both stuck in a toxic environment with a very mentally ill mother after Dad left. Taking it out on her seemed the only way to purge the hurt, anger and frustration of my chaotic world. I remember the pained look in her eyes when I would erupt. But instead of feeling bad, it made me feel better. As if there was someone else on this earth who felt as bad as I did.

You will be happy to know we did grow up and love each other very much. And, we have learned to cope with our past and take it for what is was . . . our journey in life.

In todays Gospel (Matthew 7:6, 12-14), Jesus reminds us to play nice:

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets. "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."


And in the Monthly Message of December 2005, Jesus gives examples of how to play nice:

“I have given you many examples of how I loved during My time on earth. Read about Me in Scripture, dear apostles, and then be gentle as I was gentle. Be kind as I was kind. Be respectful as I was respectful. Be forgiving as I was forgiving. I am with you in each moment and you may ask me for the grace to love each soul in your life. I will send you this grace and together, you and I will prepare you to love like a resident of heaven. In this process, you will find great joy. This joy is only the very beginning of My reward to you. Be at peace. Your God created you to love and He will teach you how to do this.”

Lay apostles, it all seems so crystal clear, doesn't it? Then why is it so hard to forgive at times? To be kind, gentle, and respectful in situations where it is so desperately needed? Well, quite frankly, because we are flawed human beings. And, it takes practice! How can you practice being forgiving, kind, gentle or respectful today? Well, I for one am going to let my baby sister know how much I love her!

Thank you, Lord, for all the lessons You so desperately want us to learn. Help me to remember all it requires is one step forward, one act of love.


God bless,
Bonnie

Thursday, June 18, 2015

A Little Quiet . . . Please?

I love my one hour of Adoration every week. It's valuable time to "hang" with Jesus. The quiet and peace walking into an Adoration chapel is immediately calming. Looking at the Blessed Sacrament, I know I am safe from the world here. Then, it usually happens . . . the mumbling whispers of another Adorer. Have I ever expressed I need total silence to stay focused? When I was in nursing school at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, I would make my way to the most remote part of the library . . . the top floor in a soundproof room. I am very easily distracted, hence needing complete silence! As a young lay apostle (meaning young in the apostolate!) beginning to commit to spending time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, the loud whispers of others prayers drove me nuts! I would actually turn around and look at the person with pleading eyes to keep their prayers to themselves. Of course, it never worked! As the years have passed, I am much more tolerant of this pet peeve of mine. I started praying for the person instead of being irritated by them. I figure Jesus needs me focused elsewhere and provides the opportunity almost every time! And the grin on Jay's face as I elbow him is all I need to refocus and listen to what Christ is asking of me.

In todays Gospel (Matthew 6:7-15), Jesus makes it simple:

Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This is how you are to pray:


‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

In Volume One, I love how Anne a lay apostle turns the irritating behavior of others inward to reflect on her own behavior . . . something we must all emulate:

"I was attempting to say the Stations after Mass and there were little pockets of people chattering in the church. I couldn’t concentrate. This irritated me to no end. I offered it up, thinking they should be talking to Christ here in the church. I also thought of St. Therese and how she prayed a prayer of endurance when another nun’s habit of clicking her teeth disturbed her. My next thought was that I had probably been guilty of this same irritating behavior in the last week. How short are our memories when it comes to our own transgressions. I was worried that my prayer be disturbed by my concern over what to write in the journal. The Blessed Mother said, “Do not worry about your journal. We will tell you if you are doing something wrong.” When I entered a strange church for the first time, I looked around, examining the architecture, etc. It would not have been my choice, and I did not love the design. I gave a sigh, and looked at the tabernacle, with the crucifix hanging above it. Oh well, I thought, it gets the job done. It immediately struck me that it was kind of like me, imperfect, guilty of flaws and not at all ideal. But Jesus was using me, in all of my imperfections, to move His plan forward. Kind of like driving an old car. You might not go fast. You might have delays. And often you might have to coax and prod. In the end, though, you usually arrive at your destination. The more spiritual work we do, the more we practice following Christ in even the smallest details of our lives, the faster our car will drive for Jesus. I guess this is the movement to unify our will to His. We all must strive to be fast cars. What a curious analogy."

Lay apostles, take a minute to think about what truly irritates you. Then, examine if these behaviors are reflections of your own at times. I know there have been occasions where I talked during a presentation or blown my nose constantly from a cold in Adoration that must have irritated others. Forgive yourself and forgive others their transgressions. It's a new day to begin again . . . to attain the attitude of Our Savior!

Thank you, Lord for the "opportunities" You give me to practice tolerant behavior of others. And, remind me to pack earplugs just in case!

God bless,
Bonnie

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

A Great Teaching - by Fr. Darragh Connolly

Here is a video we would like to share with you from our class today. Fr. Darragh spoke about the 4th spiritual practice of our Apostolate: Monthly Confession. Also, below, is a brief recap of week two from the students notebooks. Many thanks for your prayers as we head into this final week!

(Click the photo to play video)
 
 

  

Day 6 Notes:
Every child is taught that your conscience is the little voice that calls you out when you are doing something wrong. While this is great for a seven-year-old, adults need a deeper understanding of conscience. Your conscience is a place for contemplation of your thoughts, words and actions in the safety of Christ's love and mercy. Your conscience is the safest place a person can go because you will never be condemned there. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us, “Conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary, there he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths” CCC 1795.  If you are ruminating on your sins then it is like being in a hall of mirrors where everything is distorted. You will never become a saint if you only look at the sins you struggle with. It's like saying: "there is nothing good in the Good News." Rather the conscience teaches you how to combat the sin in the future.


This builds off of everything we learned last week dealing with neuroplasticity. Our distorted beliefs affect the Limbic System. Things that trigger the Limbic System are stress, anxiety, someone/something aggressing, and trauma, whereas a resilient person has coping mechanisms that help keep them in their Neocortex. We learned about the hormone oxytocin, which comes from bonding, safe relationships, and self-awareness. Barriers to self-awareness are denial and judgment. This ties into your conscience because your conscience brings you awareness of wrongdoing and counteracts denial but also prevents judgment of self and others. Your conscience is a place to stop negative looping cycles and recognize God's mercy rather than condemning yourself.


Neuroplasticity allows you to rewire your brain to take a new path after you have formed a habit. Often people can be focused on stopping the bad habit rather than replacing it with a good habit. This is not always the most helpful way to change a habit. For instance, one could focus on replacing the habit of smoking with something such as chewing gum or sunflower seeds.

               

Day 7 Notes:

Contemplative prayer is extremely helpful in developing our relationship with self, others and God. In a culture of instant gratification and noise, we must chase peace! Some people have referred to this fast-paced world as a place where everyone is grappling for a spot at the top. It is hard to calm yourself when you feel like your mind is constantly racing to keep up with the world. God can sustain us at this fast pace but we may be preventing Him from working fully through us. The enemy cannot scatter God's sheep if we are close to the Shepherd. Contemplative prayer is a way to stay connected to our Shepherd. Contemplation is the apex of prayer and heals us, protects us, and keeps God's interests alive in our hearts. There are seven different rooms that you can enter in the contemplative prayer structure: the conscience room, the relationships room, the forgiveness room, the courage and consolation room, the temptations room, the work of the day room, and the characteristics of the Divine Will room. The important thing to remember while walking through these rooms is that Jesus is with you in every room and He can be the busy one in this experience. You can ask God what He wants you to do in certain relationships, how to deal with your temptations, and so many other beautiful experiences with our Lord in contemplative prayer. You can enter into your courage and consolation room, remembering snapshots of moments when you felt God and were comforted. Spending time in contemplative prayer is like learning little lessons in love!


Day 8 Notes:

Today was a day of putting into practice the contemplative prayer structure that we learned about yesterday. In order to prepare ourselves for contemplative prayer we worked on relaxing our bodies. For the first class period, we were walked through a technique called progressive muscle relaxation. This relaxation technique began with deep belly breathing which slows the body's heart rate down. Then we were told to focus on different areas of our bodies, such as face, neck, or shoulders, notice feelings and sensations across the surface and in the muscles, and then relax those areas. After this we were brought through the process of contemplative prayer structure. Then we were each given a carpet square to symbolize our own space and a time for us to practice the Contemplative Prayer. We used this day as a reflective day without so much social activity to allow ourselves to receive what God wants us to have.


Day 9 Notes:

The classes today were on relationships. Modern society tells us that the only way for us to be happy is to be in a romantic relationship. This can lead us to objectify people and treating them as accessories. As a class we came up with a list of things that we would want in a person: humble, honest, faithful, moral (same core morals) open to another perspective, open to discernment of God's will, flexible, attractive (chemistry), fun, wants a family, able to communicate, independent, able to adapt, able to suffer, respectful, self-aware, mentally and financially well (stable), resilient, forgiving, encouraging, supportive, patient, committed to the relationship, hard working, loving, thoughtful, energetic, and positive. Rather than focusing on finding the right person, it is best to work on becoming the right person.  


In order to form more nourishing relationships with self, others, and God, we must also understand boundaries. Boundaries are lines no one should cross, instinctive, and a comfort zone. It is important to realize that boundaries shift over time: some boundaries become more relaxed and others become firmer. Boundaries are shaped by culture, spirituality, and faith. Intimate relationships are a paradox because, while needed, they leave you vulnerable and require more boundaries. Boundaries help to build trust in relationships. There are four types of boundaries: physical, psychological (mental and emotional), sexual, and spiritual. There are many ways that our boundaries can be broken. Most times when our boundaries are crossed we will feel angry, confused, disorientated, upset, and/or shamed. The goal with boundaries is to be clear despite the fact that this can be difficult at times.


Day 10 Notes:

One of the five spiritual practices of Direction for Our Times is monthly Confession. Confession is a healing sacrament. St. Augustine called the Confessional ‘The Medicine Box’. It is important to remember that even though a priest acts In Persona Christi while administering the sacrament of Confession, he is also a penitent himself. There is no reason to fear a priest or the Confessional because what a priest remembers most is the honesty and the relief after absolution not the sins a person confessed. The Catechism tells us that God will never allow us to be tempted beyond our power to resist. Good can come from temptations because they can teach us more about ourselves. To sin or to resist temptation is a decision of the heart. God gives us the grace to have custody of our hearts if we ask Him for it. Penance also comes from our hearts. Interior conversion towards God expresses itself outwardly. Confession to a priest is also a necessary part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is comparable to telling a doctor what makes you feel unwell. If a patient is too embarrassed to tell the doctor where his or her wound is, the doctor cannot heal it. Finally it is important to remember that the Confessor is not the master of God's forgiveness but the servant of it. The priest is simply there to mediate a conversation between you and God and to mediate God's grace.















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In The Shadows

The Lay Apostolate of Jesus Christ the Returning King has introduced me to some of the holiest people I know. They are loving, kind and humble. Some have suffered unfathomable tragedies. Just read the Tragedy section in Heavenly Healing. Or,  every young person's story in Can You Text Me Directions? Holiness seems to come naturally, like smiling or scratching an itch. They never boast or brag or deem themselves above any other. They just serve and exude Christ. They share their stories of triumph over evil and temptation not to be heroes or derive sympathy, but to deliver the light of Christ to listeners and readers. In other words, they stay in the shadows so Jesus can work through them to reach those in darkness.

Todays Gospel (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18) reminds me, as the Litany of Humility does, to do good for His Glory, not our own:

Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

In Anne a lay apostle's book Serving in Clarity, she points out the problem when comparing our holiness to others:

“People look at someone who evidences a high level of holiness and they think to themselves, if I were as holy as he is it would be easy. This is the opposite of the truth. The holier one becomes, the more intense the battle, and the greater the necessity for vigilant struggle. The opposite of this might be someone comparing himself to another and saying, “Thank God I am holier than that person.” But how does he know where the other is doing battle? How does he know the place of departure in the holiness journey for another? Perhaps this person has made vast gains in holiness over time. People must remember that the authentic struggle for holiness is completed in the privacy of the soul. Holiness is not a competitive sport.”

Lay apostles, I haven't met one holy person who hasn't struggled to get where they are. And each one will tell you they have a long way to go. The lesson here is to see holiness as a path to salvation. The challenge is withholding complaints about the bumps and turns when there is no recompense from the world for your efforts. I know I sound like a broken record, but aim to please Him, not the world.

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me to stay small and quiet so You can shine through me. I am far from perfect, but I am trying!

God bless,
Bonnie

Monday, June 15, 2015

Turning the Other Cheek

Years ago I was visiting my sister and nieces in Colorado a few weeks before Christmas.  We were in the shopping mood and went to Flatirons Mall outside of Boulder.  It was freezing, snowing and windy that day, the worst combination for this thin-blooded Floridian!  The great thing about shopping in Colorado during the winter is all the summer clothes are on clearance.  Perfect gifts for my daughters in Florida. After hours of shopping, we made our way out to valet parking (it was much too cold for my sister to park herself). There is a small enclosed seating area behind the valet attendant providing warmth to weary shoppers.  The girls and I huddled together in this cozy little haven with shopping bags surrounding our feet, trying to stay warm.  Luckily all my gifts fit into the big A & F bag I snuggled between my legs as we shivered. As our car pulled up, we all made a mad dash for it, grabbing our bargains and treasures from the day's outing. No sooner did we get in the car, I noticed my bag was missing. I thought I may have kicked it under the bench as I helped my nieces grab their bags. My sister turned the car around and drove back to the valet. I jumped out only to find there weren't any bags, or people, in the seating area. Gone.  All the gifts I bought to give my daughters vanished. My sister kept the car running as my nieces and I retraced our steps and ended up at Lost and Found.   Nothing.  The girls (probably 10 and 13 at the time) were so upset for me.  Trying not to put a damper on our Christmas spirit, I told them that whoever stole the clothes needed them more than we did. So I wished the thieves a Merry Christmas. We all giggled, then sprinted out the mall doors to the warmth of my sister's car.

After reading todays Gospel (Matthew 5:38-42), the situation above came to mind.  But when the offense is perceived as unforgivable, how do we interpret and apply the following?   

Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

Man, this is a tough one.  Probably one of the hardest lessons Jesus preached, but a virtue worth attaining. 

In Anne a lay apostle's book Whispers from the Cross, she illuminates how evil influences: 

"To clarify, we must not allow Satan to persuade us that the people around us are like him.  Satan will always try to destroy what is good and holy.  He will try to tempt us against each other.  He will try to persuade us that we are being treated badly or worse than we are or that we are owed something from someone that they either cannot give or do not understand that they owe or that they do not even possess.  I am searching and hoping to land, randomly if necessary, on the way the devil works against God's willed relationships.  How often have we worked ourselves into a full fledged war against someone only to find out the person never fired the first shot? I am talking about 
misunderstandings and assumptions . . ."

Lay apostles, Jesus isn't asking us to lay down and be doormats.  He is telling us to peacefully walk away.  Take no revenge.  Hold no grudges. Hate the sin, not the sinner!

Thank you, Lord, for enhancing my ability to remain humble and go the extra mile when You need me to.  It sure is a long walk sometimes, but I can do anything with You by my side!  

God bless,
Bonnie

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

One EXTREMELY Talented Photographer - Our Daughter Taylor Lewis

Sending a shout-out to Taylor Lewis Photography (@TLPhotos on Twitter) for the beautiful rose background on my blog! Roses are a special reminder of my mother to our entire family. When I first saw this picture, I immediately thought of my mother finally free from her earthly suffering, shining the light we knew she always had inside! Thank you Tay, for the love and light you bring through your camera lens! Love you Taylor Marie Lewis! 


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Perseverance Required!

Basketball has never been my thing. First of all, I'm not exactly tall at 5'4" and second, I don't have stellar aim. Jay, on the the other hand, is very athletic, tall and can hit about any target. When we first started dating, he asked if we could go play a little basketball one Saturday afternoon. I looked outside and could see it was about to rain. I tried to talk him out of it, but he was excited and ready to go. Off we went to find a free outdoor basketball court and by the time we found one, it started to sprinkle. I wanted to be a trooper and try something new. At first, my initial assessment was affirmed . . . I sucked at basketball. But Jay kept encouraging me, proclaiming I was an "athlete" and just needed to know some of the secrets of shooting the ball. He is a very patient man as I can quickly become frustrated with myself when I can't do something perfectly (hmmm . . . just a bit of a perfectionist, huh?). I listened to his advice and soon, in the pouring rain, I was hitting almost every shot!  I think I fell more in love with him that day. Getting it right meant hard work and sticking to the rules. With perseverance, determination, and loving guidance, we can accomplish anything. After the basketball experience, I am proud to say I am now a really good football thrower . . . I'm thinking this will be a benefit to my grandsons some day!  

Todays Gospel (Matthew 5:17-19) tells us we need to do our best to follow God's commandments, demonstrating their importance to others who observe us:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

In Volume Three, God the Father gives us encouragement as we progress up the mountain of holiness:

"I wish to speak to My children about heaven. The coming of My Kingdom is the coming of heaven or the expansion of heaven to earth. This is part of My plan and this is what the future holds for My children. Can you see it, dear ones? True happiness can be found only in the union of a soul’s will to the Divine Will. When your will is united to the Divine Will, there is no conflict, no struggle. Only a very few find such union on earth. The seeking of this union is the path to holiness that you follow in your obedience to My commandments. You are making decisions. You are moving forward along the road. You are making corrections. This is the process. At times in the history of mankind, most souls on earth were moving in the general direction of heaven. At this time, most souls are languishing along the way. Many are wasting their time on earth and are not coming in this direction at all. In this way, souls are lost. As a God of mercy, I send all manner of signs and warnings. In this time, however, most of My signs are being ignored. Such is the level of distraction, that My souls no sooner see a sign and experience My call, then they allow themselves to be distracted and pulled back into the world. Children, pay attention. You must focus on Me and on your path. You must be disciplined if you are to remain on the path to salvation. And believe Me when I say that all other roads lead nowhere."

Lay apostles, it's not always easy to follow the rules. But the rules are there for a reason. God developed the commandments so we don't get sidetracked, veering off the pathway to heaven. He knows we are only human and will make mistakes. But if we don't follow the rules, we will miss the target . . . heaven! Every team needs a good coach in order to be successful, right? How blessed are we our Heavenly Coach is ready and waiting to jump in whenever we ask Him for some pointers? Ask Him for help now. Ask Him for help every day. By following the Coach's advice, in the end we will have won the game!

Thank you, Lord, for patience with myself getting it right to the best of my ability. And, thank you for Your commandments. I pray by the time we meet Face to face, You are proud of the path I've chosen which lead me to You.

God bless,
Bonnie

Let Your Love Flow

There is a song by the Bellamy Brothers called Let Your Love Flow. After reading todays Gospel (Matthew 5:13-16), this song immediately came to mind. Here are the lyrics from the chorus:


Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show and you'll know what I mean it's the season
Let your love fly like a bird on a wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine and you'll know what I mean that's the reason

By loving God and living a life in service to Him, we have a multitude of opportunities every day to make a difference. In how we react, how we love, and what we say. For when we shine His Light, we glorify Him:

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, she emboldens us to continue the climb with love:

"The extent that we choose God determines the extent of the goodness God can flow through us here on earth. As we climb the mountain higher and higher toward heaven, our soul becomes stronger and its capacity to hold Christ becomes greater. We begin to disappear and Christ radiates through us. The higher we climb, the more Christ controls our will. This is done with our permission, lest souls begin to fear this heavenly possession. Souls in heaven are very much themselves, only they are themselves united to Christ. Can there be anything more desirable or beautiful? I have to say that if Christ possessed me, others would be safe from me and I could do no damage. If Christ possessed me, there would be no way that the enemy could use me to glorify himself or his legion of bitter ones. If Christ possessed me, His light would flow through me in a constant stream of grace and love. We must desire this unity above all else. Perhaps we will not reach that point on earth, but we will continue to offer Jesus our willingness and see what He can do with us. We will find joy in service because we will begin to experience heaven in saying 'no' to self and 'yes' to Him."

Lay apostles, how are you going to let your love flow today? Will others be able to see Christ in your actions and words? That's the goal . . . a goal I can only accomplish with God in my heart. 

Thank you, Lord, for supplying me with courage and strength not only from the Bible, but through Your servant Anne, too. 

God bless,
Bonnie



Monday, June 8, 2015

School of Holiness Week One Recap

Good morning lay apostles! This video is near and dear to my heart. My niece Maddie is attending SOH in Ireland right now (she is the one with curly hair and doing a cartwheel!). God is so good! Our sweet Maddie is just where He needs her to be! Enjoy!

We offer you a recap on week one of the SOH! Watch the video to see what some students are saying about their experience so far. Also, we have included for you a brief summary of our daily teachings from the notebooks of the students. Enjoy and stay tuned for more!




School of Holiness Notebook – June.1.15 (Day One)

Today we started class with a gratitude exercise; everyone in the room said one thing we they were grateful for, because gratitude is a theme running throughout the course. We start every class session in this way.

The first thing we were taught was the formation model as laid out by Pastores Dabo Vobis, an apostolic exhortation written in 1990. The Church is universal, and even though we have unity in it, we all have the right to be the kind of Catholic that is consistent with who we are – meaning, none of us should be conforming to a rigid mould of a Catholic. We were asked to list things that we loved about the Church, and to remember that we all need to be bridges to the Church, not obstacles. God contemplated each one of us into being and loves us all, and we need to do everything in our lives because we are loved. We also need to remember to teach people about God incrementally, and be witnesses to God in our representations of Him to others. We must have compassion for ourselves so that we may have compassion for others. We need to be authentic, and we need to have silence in our days, or risk the consequences of silence poverty, which include inability to be still, difficulty listening or focusing.

            Margaret then gave us an introduction on human development. There are different stages of development and each stage comes with it’s own anxieties. We learned about appropriate anxiety and neurotic anxiety and how to negotiate each one. Neurotic anxiety contains distortions about reality that must be corrected in our minds. There are three core relationships that we need to work on – relationship with ourselves, relationship with others, and relationship with God. We all need to cultivate better relationships and healthy relationships are one of the biggest keys to physical and emotional – and spiritual – wellbeing.

June.2.2015. Day. Two.

Today we were given a very important truth – “I am imperfect.” Each one of us is imperfect and we have to accept that side of our humanity. Our souls are windows and Christ sees right through them, past the imperfections, to the beauty and the goodness contained within. To demonstrate this point, Anne pointed out that John the Beloved probably did not feel like a success on Good Friday while standing at the foot of the Cross, but that God was not hanging from the cross thinking of John’s imperfections – rather, He was grateful that John was supporting Him with his presence. We then learned about mature and immature thinking, first of all with respect to dualistic and paradoxical thinking. People are not EITHER good OR bad (dualistic thinking), they are BOTH good AND bad. Human beings are paradoxes. Immature thinkers:

- have a need for certainty and control
- think dualistically
- have a limited recognition of complexity
- have reduced empathy
- are prone to ruminating and dissociation,

Mature thinkers:
-recognize complexity
- think paradoxically
- are more compassionate
- are more inclined to seek help
- are more tolerant of limits, and of other people
- can handle strong emotions, and
- are more humorous.

ALL of us are both mature and immature thinkers. Stress, trauma, illness, and old wounds can all trigger or foster less mature thinking, while contemplative prayer fosters mature thinking. The next thing we talked about was rigid ideology, which is a symptom of immature thinking and includes teaming, pessimism, aggression, feeling threatened by different beliefs, hypocrisy, and distorted beliefs. The way to respond to rigid ideology in others is with love, humility, separateness of being, and attunement to the other person.

June.3.2015. Day Three.

We started today by confronting our inner immature thinkers. This was done by a series of questions:

What makes you angry, afraid, or anxious?
What makes you feel powerless, helpless, or trapped?
In what areas are you controlling?
When do you complain about others?
When do you choose to please people or settle rather than change?
When are you perfectionistic?

Each of us needs to reflect on these questions and their answers in order to confront our immature thinker. Some things may not be our faults, but it is our responsibility to take ownership of our actions and thoughts. If we are going to be happy, we need to investigate our minds. We then did an exercise in which we discussed examples of immature thoughts and mature thoughts, which we also called whispers from heaven and whispers from hell.

Some examples of whispers from hell are:
-          Nobody likes me
-          I’ll always be alone
-          I’m not good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, etc
-          I’m not wanted
-          I ruin everything
-          I’ll never be happy
-          I’m broken, damaged, not whole.

Some examples of whispers from heaven are:
-          I’m so lucky/blessed
-          I am loved
-          I matter
-          I am strong
-          I choose joy
-          I’m worth dying for
-          I’m learning and growing
-          I am beautiful

We were instructed to catch ourselves in our thoughts and examine them for accuracy and maturity and change out unconstructive negative thoughts for positive ones. Margaret then taught us about the importance of bonding and the impact that negative or a complete lack of bonding has on our brains, and how this affects our behaviours and beliefs. Good relationships change our brains for the better, and bad relationships change our brains for the worse. We discussed the neuroscience behind these factors and then talked about how this might affect our views of prisoners and people who hurt us.

June.4.2015. Day Four.

Today we started out by learning about self-awareness and choice. First, Margaret taught us about neuroplasticity, which is the ability of our brains to adapt and change. The limbic system is the immature part of our brain that contains our survival mechanism. The limbic system is resistant to change, experiences strong feelings, holds tightly to unconscious beliefs, and never asks why. It has the rationale of a three year old. It is where our immature thoughts are catalogued. The neo-cortex (or our frontal lobes) is the part of the brain responsible for our mature thinking, and develops over time throughout life. It regulates our emotions, it is logical and rational, creative, imaginative, and compassionate. It is also the part of the brain that we use in contemplative prayer. Using this knowledge, we were taught about survival cycles, in which the limbic system moves us round and round in circular thinking patterns, and transformative cycles, in which we can change our thoughts to more accurately reflect reality and to achieve a better outcome than a negative thought or belief might have.

For instance: A negative believe leads to a negative action, or no action, which leads to a negative outcome, which REINFORCES the negative belief.

A positive belief leads to a positive action, which leads to a positive outcome, which leads to and reinforces a positive belief.

In this way we are encouraged to become self-aware and to CHOOSE positive thoughts and beliefs, to create new positive pathways in our brain to change negative habits or patterns. Transformation comes in three steps: Self-awareness, acceptance, and choice/action. We have to be able to identify what we’re feeling in order to accept and change it if necessary. We talked about each of these steps at length, what they mean and how to move through them.

In the afternoon, Father Darragh taught us about emotions according to the catechism. The catechism teaches that the passions are not good or bad; Passions are morally good when they contribute to a good action, and evil on the opposite case (CCC1768). So there is nothing wrong with us experiencing strong emotions. It is what we do with them that makes them good or bad, and there is great opportunity for holiness in the management of them.

June.5.2015. Day Five.

Today, Father Darragh led class in a session on the teachings of the Catechism. In the afternoon, the teachers handed the class over to the students in a method called “Teach It Back”. The students split into small groups and each came up with their own way of teaching back one of the concepts of the curriculum to the entire class. This method is based off the fact that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else.

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Direction for Our Times (DFOT) is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to spreading God's messages as revealed in the Volumes.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Bite-Sized Opportunities

A few years ago I was shopping with my youngest daughter (somehow we always end up at the mall when she is visiting!). As we were checking out, she complimented the cashier on her beautiful eyes. The cashier, a mature woman, seemed surprised as the previous customer wasn't exactly pleasant. Her entire demeanor changed and she became cheerfully chatty. Made me smile. When the girls were young and the teenage years challenging, I encouraged them to give compliments to offset all the negativity running rampant in their environments. People are innately good. But good people can say and do bad things. Toxic words and actions are a defense mechanism when feeling insecure or hurt. Nevertheless, when presented with repugnant situations, use them as opportunities to practice turning negatives into positives.

In todays Gospel (Matthew 5:1-12), Jesus teaches His disciples about the Beatitudes (meaning blessedness):

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

An infinite amount of wisdom exists in the Bible. If we truly believe in Jesus Christ, we must believe in the words we read. But to live and breathe what we are called to do seems a little daunting, doesn't it? The beauty of it all is God doesn't expect perfection. Only to strive toward perfection. Don't fear living what Jesus preaches because you can't (or won't) abide by all the "rules." Jesus has provided guidelines on how we should live our lives and we must aspire to adopt them. 

The following quote from Anne a lay apostle in her book Whispers from the Cross eases any fear we may have when thinking we have to be perfect:

"The average struggling apostle (most of us fall into this category) knows he is no saint. He has a realistic attitude about his gaps in holiness and he is striving to do better. He understands that to protect God's interests, he has to exert himself and even then God's interests are at risk from his humanity. The average struggling apostle will have the ability to laugh at himself when he is ridiculous and he will have a good working knowledge of his weaknesses and temptations."


Lay apostles, do you have the ability to laugh at yourself? Do you know your weaknesses and temptations? If not, practice and discover. For when you acquire these skills and knowledge, following Christ can be a cake walk. Practice living the Beatitudes. It's really not that hard if you think about it. Compliment someone. Instead of becoming embarrassed and defensive when you misstep, admit your mistake. Live small in humility. Clean your heart and your mind by purging impure thoughts and images. What can you do to strive toward perfection in God's eyes?

Thank you, Lord, for accepting me when I fail and blessings when I strive toward perfection in Your eyes. Keep me vigilant for the bite-sized opportunities to show Your Love to those placed in my path.

God bless,
Bonnie

Friday, June 5, 2015

The Socratic Method

As I pondered the Gospel today, I just couldn't quite put my finger on the word I was searching for to describe the way Jesus was teaching the crowd. Lots of words crossed my mind. Ironic? No. Clever? Yes, but not what I was looking for. So I read the Gospel to Jay. He said, "It's the Socratic Method." Hmmm. Didn't exactly know the meaning, so I Googled it. From Wikipedia: 

Socratic method, also known as method of elenchus, elenctic method, or Socratic debate, is named after the classical Greek philosopher Socrates. It is a form of inquiry and discussion between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas.

Perfect! Actually, this is what we were taught in nursing school . . . critical thinking. Asking the right questions leading to an answer. This brings to mind my marriage to Jay. In the beginning of our relationship, we both knew what we wanted in a partner. We asked all the right questions. At times, it required bouncing ideas back and forth to come to a solution we both felt comfortable with. Every time the light bulb came on, we thanked the Lord for enlightening us! So, whenever we disagree on something, the Socratic Method comes in to play! (Thanks, hubby, for your brilliant knowledge base!)

Todays Gospel (Mark 12:35-37) is one I don't think I have ever read. But it is clear the lesson Jesus was teaching was heard:

As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, “How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said:

The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.’

David himself calls him ‘lord’; so how is he his son?” The great crowd heard this with delight.


In the Monthly Message of June 2012, Jesus prepares us to live holier lives focused on Him:

"The details of your life can be discerned with me over time by examining your circumstances with the Spirit I have sent to you. There is no need to be anxious about My will. You will know it in each day and in each day My will can be noted in the duties and opportunities for service. Are you sitting with Me quietly? Are you asking Me to help you become holier? Are you offering Me your will? Or are you serving in the way you desire without willingness to change and adapt when I need you to adapt? My friends, your life will always be changing. This should not alarm you because I do not change and My love for you does not change. Be at peace. Accept that if you are not open to change then you are not open to becoming holier. All is well and I am holding you very close to Me."

Lay apostles, do you question what you read in the Bible? Or do you believe with blind faith? Me? I'm the blind faith kind of person. But, I've seen many ask the tough questions, gaining more insight and stronger faith as a result. The answers to every question are right there in the Bible. They are in the Volumes. So, use the Socratic Method . . . it can only make you stronger!

Thank you, Lord, for my brilliant husband's knowledge base! Please bless all who question, leading them right into Your Loving Arms!

God bless,
Bonnie