Tuesday, July 28, 2015

People Pleasers

Motherhood. So much to do, so little time to do it all. And when there are multiple children involved, hours seem like minutes. As mothers, we try to keep everyone happy. Most of us are pleasers at heart. We cook, clean, bandage up scraped knees, and stop arguments between siblings. We love, cry, and brush off the words "I hate you" from a teenager's mouth. We are so busy with life, sometimes we forget to enjoy it. Since the birth of our four grandchildren, I see things differently. I wish I would have read more to my girls; extended our Barbie play sessions; and taken more walks enjoying nature. In reminiscing, time spent away from them is lost time I can't recover. Mothers and fathers, take the time while your children are young. Don't miss the small stuff because you have to check email or update your Facebook status. Focus on your family. Help build the Kingdom of God!

The Gospel (Luke 10:38-42) today is one we must remember when trying to make everyone else happy:

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

In Heaven Speaks About Stress, Jesus tells us to slow down:

"My children, why do you hurry so? Why do you feel you must move so quickly through your days? This is not the way I intended the children of God to live. You may tell Me that you have many things to do. I respond to you by saying that you are trying to do too much. You will not be holy if you move so quickly. I want My beloved apostles to move more slowly and thoughtfully through their days. I want you to make decisions on what I am asking you to do and what you are busying yourself with that is not from Me. I want your way of life to change and I am asking you to make this change now. In the next week, think about each activity and decide, with Me, if it is something I want you to do or something you want to do. My dearest apostles, I ask that you begin to remove activities that do not further My will. I want more time in silence, as you know. I want more time with families, without noise blocking you from each other. I want prayer, yes, but also conversations that are not hurried and stressed between husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and parents and children. These are the souls I have decided you will walk through your life with and you have obligations to them. If you are too busy with your own will, you are not seeing to Mine and you are missing opportunities both to learn from others and to assist others in learning about Me."

Lay apostles, serve where you need to serve. But, if you are presented with opportunities to spend a few minutes with Christ in prayer, your children, grandchildren or spouse, leave the dishes in the sink (or whatever distraction detains you). What can you do today to make a memory? Remember, even God can't change the past.

Thank you, Lord, for showing me the importance of slowing down, focusing more on You and less on distractions that don't further Your Kingdom.

God bless,
Bonnie

Monday, July 27, 2015

With Christ, Miracles Abound!

Right before my eyes, I have seen miracles. Our four daughters growing into beautiful young women, two of which are wives and mothers; our sons-in-law appreciating the gift of a family; and the smiles of our four precious grandchildren when they see Mimi and Papa. We are blessed with the miracles of good friends, a successful business and the publication of our new book, Letting Purpose & Passion Drive Your Marriage: How To Find Harmony & Happiness No Matter What!  Most importantly, He has blessed us with love. 

In yesterdays Gospel (John 6:1-15), Jesus performs a miracle out of love for His followers:

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.  A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.  Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.  The Jewish feast of Passover was near.  When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”  He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.  Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.”  One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”  Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”  Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.  So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.  Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.  When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”  So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.  When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.


In Volume Four, Jesus shows us miracles are a piece of cake for Him . . . we need only believe:

"You can blame God for all that is wrong with your world and perhaps this will work for you on earth. I assure you though, on this day that this will cease to work for you at the moment of your death. At that time there will be only yourself to blame as the Truth is inescapable. You will be facing the one, the only, and the true God and attempting to tell Him that He does not exist. How do you think this will go for you? It will not go well, dear soul, and that is why I am speaking to you now. I want you to divert from this path that leads to damnation. You are choosing against Me now and I am asking you to stop. I love you. There are many Christians in this world who love you and My love will flow through them to you. I want you for My Kingdom. I need you to serve Me. You are capable of the highest goodness. You are capable of bringing many souls to heaven for Me. Some of My greatest friends were far worse sinners than you. Please come back to Me. I love you and I can heal you and cure you. My forgiveness is yours. That hardly needs to be said. The greater difficulty will be in persuading you to forgive yourself but I am God and that would be only a small miracle for Me to perform. I will do that for you. I will make of you another Jesus, walking the earth in love. Do you want this? Can you picture it? Now, do not wait any longer. I shower you with graces. Lift your precious face to the heavens and feel My love as I beseech you to turn away from sin and follow Me."

Lay apostles, think about something miraculous in your life. Whether it is a new job, new baby, marriage, or creating a beautiful work of art, see God's touch in the miracle. We may believe the miracle is of our own doing, but truly God allows the miracle to occur. We can do nothing without God's graces and His Will. Start giving glory to Him for everything and soon the miracles will begin occurring right before our eyes. Ask Him for the vision to see them.

Thank you, Lord, for the patience and ability to see the miracles You have graced me with. I am so thankful for everything.

God bless,
Bonnie

Friday, July 17, 2015

Complaining Not Allowed!

Teenage girls. Boy oh boy did my three drive me nuts every once in a while! Getting them to set the table for dinner, let alone clear the table or do the dishes was torture. So I created a list rotating between the three tasks. But when the "clearer" didn't do her job quick enough, the dishwasher wandered off, usually gabbing on the phone with girlfriends. Then came the complaining from the setter. She did her job on time so why were the other two able to slack off? I would then proceed to one of the bedrooms blaring some NSYNC song and calmly remind the clearer to get moving so the dishwasher could do her job. Then by the third reminder, I wasn't so calm. As soon as a certain tone would come out of my mouth, I'd get the dirty look and the "ok, mom!" irritated growl. I'm happy to report they all turned out to be responsible young women! And, two are mothers themselves. I pray the Good Lord keeps me around on this earth long enough to experience my beautiful girls with their own challenging teenagers!

In todays Gospel (Matthew 12:1-8), the Pharisees just couldn't stop complaining:

Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath." He said to the them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."

In Volume One, Jesus asks us to put duty over feelings:

“I want My children to have spiritual discipline. This means you practice your faith regardless of how you feel. There is far too much time spent on feelings today. Duty is more important. My children of the world think that their duties should be suspended if their feelings change. This is not the case, My children. On the contrary, you must complete your duties despite feelings of fatigue, boredom, and restlessness. The enemy uses these feelings to persuade people that they should not serve their loved ones. The world encourages this and does not hold people responsible when they shirk their duties or become lax or lazy. Indeed, even in work My children complain and think they should be given liberty. They begrudge doing their duty in every area of their lives. Only in their personal entertainment do they stop complaining, and that is being taken to excess. Children, this is not the way I intended for you to live. Your duty is holy and in it you will find your path to holiness. When you are unsure about what I want you to do at a given moment, look for your duty. Does it lie with your children, your job, your family, your home, your work? Everyone has a duty and in it you will find the path to your salvation. I want you to have discipline now. Decide, through prayer and conversation with Me, what spiritual practices you need to adopt. Then you must be disciplined about these practices.”

Lay apostles, simple tasks such as washing the dishes or mowing the yard are not exactly entertainment (although I do love to mow my daughter and her husband's yard for the workout!). But we must strive to complete our tasks on time with love and with no complaints. Each of us has a duty in life. Figure out what yours are and ask Christ for a heaping dose of motivation to accomplish them.

Thank you, Lord, for helping me survive teenage girls without pulling out all my hair! Please help my daughters to respond with love when their children reach that wonderful time in their lives when shirking duties is an every day occurrence!

God bless,
Bonnie

Thursday, July 16, 2015

The Easy Button

Sometimes life can be very difficult.  Emotions run amok as we struggle to find balance in our new surroundings; our new life. Relationships develop with others commiserating the same defeat. There is nothing more comforting than knowing you aren't the only one experiencing such heartache and pain.  Years ago, while going through a rough time before my divorce, a woman I had met while writing Heavenly Healing was in a marriage very similar to mine.  We bonded immediately and I felt I had met someone who completely understood me like no one else.  I loved every minute with her.  She felt the same way.  But when I made the decision to get divorced, things changed between us.  I was no longer grumbling about my frustrations. I was trying to move forward and begin the healing process. And she was still in an unhappy marriage. All of the sudden, there wasn't much to talk about.  We played a role in each other's life at a time when we needed to feel better about ourselves. Connected to another human being who understood.  But this doesn't fill the void. The lesson I have learned from this relationship is to listen more, vent less, and leave the complaining for Jesus' ears only. Life is so much easier when I speak to Him in prayer, work through the problems with His love and guidance, and try my best to follow His advice in the Bible and the Volumes. 

I have discovered the "easy" button. It is Jesus Christ.  He asks us to go to Him for everything, and boy do I dump on Him when problems arise!  


The Gospel today (Matthew 11:28-30) has a message which I take seriously now:
Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
In Volume Two, Jesus illustrates exactly why we must stop the pattern of complaining to others and bring all our heartache, pain, and frustrations to Him:

"Often you rail against your circumstances but do not come to Me to object. Of what use is complaining to others? They cannot lift your cross or even ease your burdens. Talk to Me and listen to others. In that way you will not fall into sins of the tongue, which do great damage in this world. I am here, waiting to listen to your every complaint. Every sorrow you suffer finds a warm, comfortable place in My heart and, truly, when you share sorrow with Me it is diminished. I want to give you eyes of heaven. I want you to see your life, this world, and its people, with these heavenly eyes so that you will begin to respond like Me, your Jesus, who loves you so dearly. My child, I am offering this new vision to you. Will you accept this wonderful gift from Me? Truly, you will be astonished at how this viewpoint will change your life. Most of what disturbed you in the past will simply fade away, out of your line of vision, because it will hold such little importance for you. Do you want this? I am so hopeful that you will say 'yes.'"

Lay apostles, have you been complaining to someone today?   Taken out your frustrations on another?  Posting your complaints and misery on Facebook? I am imperfect and catch myself repeating old habits once in a while.  Ask yourself this question when you are venting your dissatisfaction: am I shining His Light or shedding more darkness? You be the judge.

Thank you, Lord, for being my "easy" button when it comes to complaining.  Help me to focus on being the example You need me to be and not what makes me temporarily feel better.

God bless,
Bonnie

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Childlike or Childish - What's the Difference?

A full bright moon on a clear starry night still enchants me. Yellow flowers of any type fill me with joy. Kisses and hugs from our grandbabies is a little piece of heaven on earth. I love singing my favorite songs cranked up as loud as I can tolerate (not quite the volume I blared when I was 18!). Yes, I can be childlike finding beauty, wonder and excitement all around me. Doesn't God ask this of us? To enjoy and love all He has created? But some confuse childlike with childish. The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of childlike is as follows: resembling, suggesting, or appropriate to a child or childhood; especially: marked by innocence, trust, and ingenuousness (childlike delight). And the definition of childish: marked by or suggestive of immaturity and lack of poise (a childish spiteful remark). Two very different definitions. One bringing you closer to God while the other pulls you further away.

In todays Gospel (Matthew 11:25-27), Jesus informs us of the benefits of childlike behavior:

At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

In Volume Four, Jesus the King clearly paints a picture of what childlike behavior looks like:

“In this time of change, you must walk in the light with determination. Children do not often fear because they rely on their parents for everything. When they face a problem, they run to their parents and place the problem with their parents, running off again to continue with their childlike pursuits. Take heed, dear ones. This is what we ask of you at this time. And we ask this for your own peace. This is the way to proceed during this time of change and transition. Soon, it will come naturally to you and you will have no need to remind yourself each day. I have asked My children to practice their faith and by that I mean continued acts of trust when trust would seem difficult and there is a temptation toward fear and distress. You must say, “I have given this to my Father in heaven. God wants to protect me so I will take full advantage of my Parentage and allow Him to do so. In this way, I am mentally liberated and can do the work my Father wills for me in freedom. My concentration should be on each task that is placed in front of me, never worrying about the past, never worrying about the future.”

Lay apostles, if you have lost all innocence and struggle understanding how to become childlike in the eyes of God, go outside tonight and marvel at the moon, a sunset, a smile from a loved one, anything. Thank Him for the beauty He surrounds us with on earth. Thank Him for His protection, His mercy and great love of all creation. Make it a daily habit. All of the sudden you will begin fearing less and praying more. And marveling at the sunshine a yellow flower can create on a cloudy day . . .


(an old pic of our grandson Connor in the background - he is now 3!)

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me how to be childlike again. You have surrounded me with so much love and beauty!


God bless,
Bonnie

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

An Interesting Confession

In a previous post, I discussed the Confession app I use to "track" my sins. It also allows me to set a reminder for when my monthly Confession is due (as lay apostles, we commit to monthly Confession). A few months ago, as Jay and I stood in Fr. Stan's line at our church, I pulled out my Confession app to review what I needed to confess. I learned something very valuable that day . . . if you click on a sin (and you can click on it several times if you commit the same sin over and over . . . for example, gossiping), there is no erasing if clicked on accident. Well, I accidentally clicked on "Have I caused serious injury or death by criminal neglect?" I panicked and tried to delete it. Soon it jumped to "2" on the number of times committed. I silently showed Jay what I had done. With a grin, he quietly asked if he needed to sleep with one eye open from now on. As the repenter before me walked out and Fr. Stan's smiling face greeted me, I closed the door behind me and told him I had to tell him something before we started. He had a serious look on his face as he asked what was on my mind. I confessed the above sins . . . and then explained about the mishap. He burst into laughter as I began, "Bless me Father, for I have sinned . . ." The beauty of this Sacrament, when we are truly sorry for what we have done, is the grace the Lord bestows to go back into the world more knowledgable and keenly aware of our own behavior. 

In todays Gospel (Matthew 11:20-24), Jesus asks for our repentance:

Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum:

Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

In the booklet Heaven Speaks to Prisoners, St. Francis of Assisi encourages us, despite our sins, to have a repentant heart:

"So perhaps you are stuck at that first road sign. You see a sign that says repentance this way, but you do not feel it. This is where the beauty of Jesus becomes clear. You can ask Jesus for even this. Tell Jesus that you want to be sorry but you do not feel sorry. Ask Jesus to give you sorrow for your sins. Ask Him to give you a spirit of repentance. Jesus will do this. He will do everything. Look up to Him and acknowledge Him as your King, your Saviour, and your Creator. He will do the rest. Do you see that with Jesus, you cannot fail? You simply cannot fail."

Lay apostles, how are we repentant for our sins? Do we feel the victim with no need to repent for retaliation? Do we hurt others because we have been hurt?  My friends, a sin is a sin. If we don't have it in us to apologize or visit the Sacrament of Confession, as St. Francis says above, "ask Jesus to give you sorrow for your sins." The more we ask for graces to climb the mountain to holiness, the easier repentance becomes. 

Thank you, Lord, for all the graces bestowed on me through the Sacrament of Confession. There is not a better feeling in the world than walking out of there knowing I am right with You!

God bless,
Bonnie

Monday, July 13, 2015

I Love You Most

Jay's mother is a Godsend. "Nana" is 85 years old and loves me as much as I love her. We've decided we are kindred souls. Every Friday at the end of our business day, we visit Nana. Leaving her after a visit can be a long process . . . it never seems like I have enough time with her. We hug and kiss a few times before I even get close to the door. Jay is usually outside starting the car by the time I say my last "I love you, Nana!" Her response every time is "I love you most!"


Nana, in the three years I've been blessed with her in my life, inspires me to stay focused on Christ. At 85, she still prays for the happiness of her children and grandchildren, just as I do with my own. I thank Him every day for this beautiful woman He allowed me to experience while still on this earth. I love you, Nana . . . most!

Todays Gospel (Matthew 10:34–11:1) is a lesson for all of us to love God . . . most:

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple–amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.


In Anne a lay apostle's book Lessons in Love, the path to God is clear:

"Jesus offers us gifts of forgiveness and healing but we must accept these gifts. Let others continue on the path of rebellion and confusion. We will turn sharply now, at this moment, and walk into the Lord’s heart completely, where there is mercy and healing. This is the only way for us if we desire heaven. Jesus will take us to His Father and say, 'Look, Father, there is love for Me on earth. I am welcome in the soul of this apostle.' This is the right way for us. We must turn away from the world and its shame and walk with Jesus."

Lay apostles, look around you. Despite what is happening in the world, do you see the love God feels for you? Love in the form of a daughter's smile, a grandson's hug, an encouraging word? Do you take the time to thank Him for the little things? It's like the Tea Cup ride at DisneyWorld . . . you spin around and around until the ride stops. The vertigo occurs the minute your feet touch the ground (at least it does for me!). The last thing I want to do is stagger around the park, feeling nauseated. Instead, I sit down (preferably in air conditioning!) and get centered again. Within minutes, I am ready for the next adventure. That's how it works with God . . . get centered on Him, love Him with all your heart, love Him most. In doing this, we develop the ability to see good in a dark world.

Thank you, Lord, for Nana. I am forever grateful You found me worthy of such love on earth.

God bless,
Bonnie

Friday, July 10, 2015

Bring It On

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Bring it On." After reading todays Gospel (Matthew 10:16-23), I knew what my blog post would include today! If you haven't heard this song, here are the lyrics:

I didn't come lookin' for trouble
And I don't want to fight needlessly
But I'm not gonna hide in a bubble
If trouble comes for me
I can feel my heart beating faster
I can tell something's coming down
But if it's gonna make me grow stronger then'

Bring it on
Let the lightning flash, let the thunder roll, let the storm winds blow
Bring it on
Let the trouble come, let the hard rain fall, let it make me strong
Bring it on

Now, maybe you're thinkin' I'm crazy
And maybe I need to explain some things
'Cause I know I've got an enemy waiting
Who wants to bring me pain
But what he never seems to remember
What he means for evil God works for good
So I will not retreat or surrender

Bring it on
Let the lightning flash, let the thunder roll, let the storm winds blow
Bring it on
Let the trouble come, let the hard rain fall, let it make me strong
Bring it on

Now, I don't want to sound like some hero
'Cause it's God alone that my hope is in
But I'm not gonna run from the very things
That would drive me closer to Him
So bring it on

Bring it on
Let the lightning flash, let the thunder roll, let the storm winds blow
Bring it on
Let the trouble come, let it make me fall on the One who's strong
Bring it on
Let the lightning flash, let the thunder roll, let the storm winds blow
Bring it on
Let me be made weak so I'll know the strength of the One who's strong
Bring it on
Bring it on



Now, after reading the lyrics, read the Gospel. I promise the lyric "Bring it On" will be stuck in your head:

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men,  for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book The Mist of Mercy, she recommends we expect the storms in life, and learn to lean on Christ:


"During periods of duress, it is important that we be very gentle with ourselves. We must not condemn ourselves or judge ourselves more harshly than the Lord judges us. The enemy delights when we think, poor me. I’m not holy enough. Surely the Lord should cast me out of the family. Surely the Lord can do without the service of one who fails as I have just failed. We will all fail. We will at times lose patience with others. We will also, at times, mistakenly take the bait from the enemy and be drawn into upset and disorder. There are times when we will be the cause of the upset and disorder. But to beat ourselves up over failures is to prolong the enemy’s influence. Jesus has no need of perfect apostles or He would have created some. He needs us, in all of our imperfection. And He needs us to be humble so we must rejoice when we experience our humanity. If nothing else, mistakes remind us that Christ is King and we are not. Remember, too, that Jesus allows attacks. The devil has no power that Christ does not allow him. Jesus allows us to experience spiritual warfare so that we can grow in holiness and trust. With regard to spiritual warfare, my spiritual director often says, 'Expect it. Count on it. See it coming.' We must expect resistance and become adept at weathering storms. It is terrifically helpful to have humility. Ask God for humility each day as without it you will be vulnerable. It is a standing joke in our family that a request to heaven for humility is usually answered within minutes. If you lack humility, my friends, you will inevitably land on your backside. In fairness, we all land like that at times. Our humanity guarantees it. Be assured though, that a lack of humility insures a far more painful
landing." 

Lay apostles, what are the storms darkening your life right now? Is it finances? A rocky relationship? Stifling fear of the unknown? Whatever it is, think about the song lyrics above. Reread the quote from The Mist of Mercy above. Remember Christ is King and reigns above all. Try to see the storms through His Eyes . . . and trust He will bring us through anything the world can hurl at us. Anything! He is the Light. Follow Him out of the darkness. Ask Him to send the graces to see the Light.

Thank you, Lord, for leading me out of the storms and into Your Loving Arms!

God bless,
Bonnie

Thursday, July 9, 2015

First Thursday Talk July 2015

I have to say, Anne's talk for this month is stunning . . . and so pertinent to every single person alive on this earth. Worth watching her live if you have time. If not, READ THIS!!

God bless,
Bonnie




July 2015 First Thursday Talk for prayer groups and personal reflection. Available in both video and text.



Welcome. We thank God for allowing us to assemble here on our First Thursday prayer group. It is so good for us to be together during our time on earth. And while many might look at our apostolate and see books with words on a page, we, lay apostles, see instead people with companions on a journey, linked in some invisible way that brings us joy and clarity and, yes, direction.

Tonight we are in a celebratory mood because one aspect of our long journey is ending. Years ago, the Lord prompted us to embark on a real estate transaction. Given that we were so young an apostolate, with absolutely no excess money, it did not seem like a humanly great idea. We discerned it to death, understanding that this news would require a rather enormous leap of faith for those of us involved. Well, the instruction did not change and the Lord persisted and so we made the instruction known and we began, as an organization to purchase the property we call the Abbey.

My friends, I think it is safe to say that it is good that the team did not know the suffering that would come to us because of this element of God’s plan. You see, it made no sense to us. Why did we need this property? Frankly, at that time, we did not need the property. But what God knew was that at this time, 2015, when we would take possession of the property, we would have a great need of it. And so in the next month we will begin our process of renovation. And tonight I would like to talk about what it is we will be doing at our new Headquarters.

We might think about our apostolate as a fountain. We, lay apostles, together make up the water in the fountain. We are meant to hydrate the area in which we serve. So the apostolate is not intended to draw anyone away from their duties, but to refresh and renew them in those duties.

Let us say that the bottom and largest part of the fountain is the Volumes. The Volumes, a great gift, provide the foundation for protecting the water, us, in the most broad way and generally, people of faith who read the Volumes find themselves in the pages of the Volumes. Would you agree with that?  Something we read speaks to us and we say, yes, truly I need to transform. And so a new journey begins for the reader. Let us each think back to our beginning days of becoming lay apostles. The Volumes consoled us and then gently instructed us and then by Volume Ten, we were being challenged, sent out in a certain way, conscripted really, and also encouraged. From Volume Ten we read, “Souls will return to Me and then they too will join the Rescue Mission. We will grow in number and in strength. All renewals begin this way and initially rest upon the courage of a few. Difficulties will come. You understand that the work you do for heaven is destined to save many. As such, it will draw resistance. But this mission is divine in origin and none will stand successfully against it.” 

Well heaven was right. The apostolate has drawn resistance from its first day. And to date, none have stood successfully against it. Today we are safely in many countries, in many languages and our Returning King has many, many lay apostles and many prayer groups. We are so often surprised to know of friends in distant places we knew nothing about. We work, always, within the diocesan structure of the Church and with all necessary permissions obtained.

The next tier of our fountain is found in the spiritual concepts of what we call The Big Books: Climbing the MountainThe Mist of MercyServing in ClarityLessons in LoveWhispers from the Cross and Transforming Grace. My goodness, can we remember when we first read about Heaven? That there are no separations and that heaven and earth work together, both in time and out of time? Or the truth that Purgatory is about accepting the sublime Truth about ourselves and the impact we had on others? Some people felt that this meant purgatory was too easy. But my friends, that is only if a person is thinking on the surface of things. Who can describe the pain of legitimate remorse when one is allowed to see the grave impact our negative thoughts, words and actions had on those around us? I can only pray that we will try very hard to do the hard work during our time on earth.

Through the big books we went deeper into the need for unity in the Church and we learned for the unity to occur, everyone must move, if only in his or her thoughts and minds. We learned about how to conduct ourselves as Christians and the bar was raised very high indeed in terms of our participation as lay people in the Catholic Church. One lay apostle said to me recently, that given the writings, she knew that gossipy or negative conversations were unacceptable to God. But she found herself in a situation where there existed a lot of negative and gossipy conversation. And so she went to confession. She left confession and outside of the Church she spotted a person with whom she had the greatest difficulty NOT engaging in these conversations. And she told me this: “I RAN away,” she said. “I literally ran in the opposite direction.” She said, “I must have looked ridiculous. But I was worried that I was not strong enough to resist the temptation and it was either run or face the embarrassment of going back into the Confessional the next day.” “And it would be the same priest,” she said, “and I thought, better to pick up my feet and run.” My friends, we both laughed but in my head I thought, there is a real lay apostle, doing the hard work. She showed self-awareness and conviction. She refused to be part of pulling something down and chose instead to protect another person by refusing to gossip.

And so we ask ourselves the question again now. Am I engaging in activities or conversations that pull down or even destroy? A heavenly work? The reputation of another? Or even the self-esteem of a family member? If we do this work daily we can avoid purgatory.

In Transforming Grace we learned to pray contemplatively, according to a prayer structure that is designed to reclaim our thoughts and minds and stake out a safe pasture for Jesus Christ to communicate with us. In Joseph Peiper’s book, Leisure, the Basis of Culture, he noted that every created child of God is entitled to ongoing communication with Him. I was struck by this because obviously I agree. But, given the plagues of our time, constant mental stimulation in the form of noise, violent entertainment and pornography, many of Gods children are tormented by anxiety, intrusive thoughts and looping brain circuitry which literally makes people physically, emotionally and mentally sick. And they fear that they are crazy or permanently damaged.

And so we have the third tier of our fountain which is the Curriculum, the teaching programs. God sends us the instruction to offer teaching which can protect and recover our minds in the form of the truth about our brain’s functioning and neuroplasticity, that is, the brain’s ability to change and recover throughout life. People attending our weekends were ‘healed’ from anxiety, depression and ruminating and catastrophic thinking. And so their ability to communicate with God was increased and in some cases restored to them.

In Transforming Grace we read about trauma and our Curriculum teaches about this phenomena. Why? Because it is part of the Human experience and God’s children are entitled to know the truth about themselves.  If an event traumatizes us we might feel that it is difficult to forgive, maybe even impossible. Let’s talk about trauma for a moment. Trauma occurs when a person feels a sense of shock, terror, horror, betrayal, humiliation or shame, when a person feels powerless or out of control, when a person feels unprepared or without adequate resources to handle a situation, when a person feels they will never be the same after the event or that they are scarred and damaged, and when a person feels trapped and possibly isolated with this experience. That is taken from a book called Ireland, Healing the Soul Woundby Margaret McGahon, who is creating the Human Development component of our Curriculum.

Why do I reference trauma when we are an assembly of people called to work spiritually in the world? Because unhealed trauma impacts us. And in those cases the process of forgiveness might not be as straightforward as choosing to forgive. And we need to know that because if inside we feel that we cannot forgive, we might be afraid that we are a fake, a Pharisee, pretender. And that is probably not true. Most likely, one fears, humanly, that to forgive means to make one’s self vulnerable again. Unchecked, this can result in a sad split where a person externally prays and practices their faith, but harbors secret bitterness in their heart. In today’s gospel we read, “knowing what was in their minds, Jesus said: ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts?’” My friends, on any given day, that could be us. We are all tempted to have wicked thoughts in our hearts at times. This is the truth about us. But as lay apostles we go after these thoughts. We ask Why? Why am I angry? Why am I hurt? Disappointed? Fearful? This is the way of honesty and integrity and courage. A holy lay apostle spends most time engaged with his own imperfection. Not in a narcissistic way but in a compassionate and interested way, in union with Jesus Christ, seeking to protect God’s plan for love through self-awareness and sincere effort. We are all impoverished next to God’s perfection. The poverty of our being should not dissuade us though, or discourage us one little bit. Because we can do all things in God who is our strength. And God has given us holy science and knowledge to heal our brains and get them working in new, creative and holy ways. And if we are doing this hard work of becoming self-aware and understanding what we are capable of, both good AND bad, we are an asset to the kingdom and God can get through us to others.

I’ll tell you a story. There was once a person who felt bemused at the burdensome nature of his humanity. The person wished earnestly to be freed from his humanity so that he did not have to deal with temptations, anger and hurt at the betrayals of others, and also harassment and slander. Because you see he had a human reaction to these things and he felt like it was a terrible distraction from all things holy. And so he prayed to his guardian angel asking to be freed from this terrible burden of humanity. The angel asked him, “Would you like to be freed now?” At that moment the man saw two of his daughters coming around a bend, and he said, “Not just now. I have to talk to my daughters.” When they arrived home, later, the angel asked again, “Is this the time? Would you like to be freed now?” The man thought about it and said, “No. This is not the time because I have to cut the grass and clean the windows.” Later, the man was in deep prayer and the guardian angel interrupted him abruptly, and said, “Is this time now, to free you? Would you like to be rid of your burdensome humanity now?” At that very moment the man heard his son call out, “DAD.” And so he understood that at this time his humanity was needed on earth, despite the distractions and the upsets. The things that he felt weighed his soul down were actually serving to convict him in his service and grow strong spiritual muscles. And he was so moved by this that he decided to take the motto of the United States Marines, “Semper Fidelis”, and remain always faithful to his duty, because he knew that if God was worth dying for then God was most certainly worth living for, not just getting by, but serving with all of his life, his work and his heart.

 The contemplative prayer structure is important. Prayer is, I feel, our response to love. Does anyone remember the Hoover Dam teaching? The Hoover Dam enabled life giving water to be piped out from a very far distance indeed. In the same way, because of the truth about the indwelling trinity, each of us can access heaven through prayer, and draw beautiful healing plans and instructions into the world from our prayer lives. But in order for these plans to make it all the way from prayer into the world, the plans must traverse a perilous territory through our humanity, and all of our ‘stuff’, safely out from us to the next person. And so we keep the pipeline clear and unrestricted by honestly facing the truth about ourselves and trying to heal. That lay apostle in front of the Church was right to literally run from the occasion of sin. She knew what she was capable of, both good and bad. And she chose to build up, or at least on that day, not tear down the reputation of another.

And so we will advance into God’s plan for us as an apostolate. We will continue to create a Curriculum which, modeled on Pastores Dabo Vobis, includes formation in Human, Academic, Spiritual and Pastoral formation for lay people. This Curriculum will include the very best in psychology and neuroscience, it will include our beautiful spirituality, and it will be buttressed and validated through the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Holy Scripture. And this work will be based at the abbey. My friends, you have our most sincere gratitude for making any part of this journey with us. As people, we certainly needed your support and we were not disappointed. God bless you and may God protect our work. 



Have you been blessed through the Volumes? Please help others receive these words by donating a dollar a day. Your donation makes a big difference. 



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

Patient Person-in-Training!

Patience used to be a tough one for me. Especially when it involved Jesus Christ the Returning King. There is nothing I enjoy more than leading others to Christ. As I have said many times, this apostolate (Direction for Our Times) drastically changed my life. I get so excited when people I meet want to know more about the mission and my books Heavenly Healing and Can You Text Me Directions. I love getting feedback. But, not everyone is ready for change. This is where my lack of patience would creep in. When handing out a Volume, I assumed others would devour it as I did the first time I laid eyes on it. Why wouldn't everyone want to feel like I feel? To truly understand how an intimate relationship with Christ can rock your world? I have heard Anne a lay apostle say many times to plant the seed and let Jesus take it from there. I struggled with this concept for quite a while, but over time, I began to understand the importance of this statement. I can't make people believe or desire a closer relationship with Jesus. Because if I could "make" them, it would be my time, not God's time. The valuable lesson here is to approach others with love and show them, by example, what living in the Light of Christ looks and feels like. Then, move on and hand out the next Volume.

Todays Gospel (Matthew 10:7-15) gives good advice when trying to shine the light of Christ on those in darkness pushing us away:

Jesus said to his Apostles: "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town."

In the Monthly Message of August 2008, Jesus instructs us to be vigilant in pursuing holiness:

“Ask yourself today and each day, ‘Where is God asking me to be holier today?’ Perhaps it is charity, perhaps patience, possibly trust, maybe you should practice concentrating on your holiness and refrain from examining the work needed in other souls. Oh, My dear apostles, if you could only see how desirable holiness is to heaven. If you could only see how beautiful you are when you are looking up to heaven with an honest desire to become holier. When you become distracted, My heart sighs. And yet I am patient with you. I know that My little ones want to serve Me. I know that My little ones struggle to absorb the truth about holiness. And that is why I am patient. I am patient because you are trying. Continue trying, dear apostles. Walk bravely into holiness. Be fearless in examining your condition. If you do so, I will surround you with love so that you do not become discouraged but emboldened.”

Lay apostles, be proactive for Christ. Live as an example to others. For what good does it bring when we say we love Jesus, but brutally judge; hand out a Volume and then use Christ's name in vain. Remember, all eyes are on us to determine if we live what we preach.

Thank you, Lord, for my newfound patience. I am not exactly perfect in this area yet, but I am much better than I was in my younger days!

God bless,
Bonnie

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Lost Sheep

I suffer from a disabling disease which causes confusion, agitation and the feeling of impending doom. Most of the time it's under control. When I sit comfortably in my own little office writing, it is non-existent. So, here goes the big reveal: I am directionally challenged. I cannot read a map; I struggle figuring out where the bouncing blue dot on my iPhone GPS is actually taking me; and please, don't tell me north, south, east or west when giving me directions. Left or right will suffice and, most importantly, get me to my destination on time! Luckily, there are plenty of shepherds in my life providing the direction I require to stay on track. They are kind, patient, and understanding of my affliction. They love me despite my navigational abilities (or lack thereof). What did we ever do before cell phones?

We trust our GPS or maps function to lead us to our journey's end. It's there in writing and we believe it will not lead us astray (most of the time!). As Christians, we have the ultimate guide book in the Bible and the Volumes. Step by step directions leading us to Christ. And in todays Gospel (Matthew 9:32-38), Jesus demonstrates the love He feels for His lost sheep:

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

The above bolded text is so heartwarming to me. Jesus sees the chaos of our lives and yet feels compassion for us as we maneuver awkwardly through our days. All He wants is to lead His flock home.

In Volume Three, God the Father is activating His GPS:

“My child, for so long I have watched you. In some deep area of your soul, you knew I was there with you. I choose to be more active in your life now. I choose to lead you more directly, if you will allow Me. I want My children to be united with Me, but also with each other. I require a legion of souls who are living in union with Me, their God, and who are responding to My directives. Children, along with My Son, and Mary, his mother, I am giving you every assurance of your welcome. You are being guided in an unprecedented fashion and this guidance will continue. We will shepherd you through all difficulties. Many souls think that they do not have to return to Me now because they will have time later. They procrastinate. Children, this is not what I want. This is not what I am asking of you. I say, enough. Come to Me now. In order to enter heaven, you must accept Jesus, My Son.”

Lay apostles, take a look at the direction in which your life is headed. Are decisions leading you closer to Christ or to an unforeseen dead end? Isn't it about time to reboot and get back on the main road to heaven?

Thank you, Lord, for having pity on this poor sinner. I am finally learning to read directions that once mystified me! Your Patience is very much appreciated!

God bless,
Bonnie

Thursday, July 2, 2015

The Courage To Move On

There are times in our lives when change seems too daunting. Despite our misery, the unknown seems scarier . . . out of our comfort zone. In desperation, we backslide to the safety of what we know, continuing down a path eventually leading us full circle to the hurt and pain again. We stay in careers we loathe; enduring and/or recovering from painful divorces; even submerged deep within an addiction numbing us from reality. After all, it's safe. We know exactly what to expect. We know how to control this "world." Therein lies the problem. It's us trying to control our own world. It takes courage to walk in faith. To trust outcomes to Jesus. Let Him control our world by following in His footsteps, believing in the words of Scripture and the promises contained within the Bible. It takes courage to change and begin anew. But if we stand tall with Jesus by our side, trusting in His guidance, we cannot fail and will recover. And, oh, such beauty will illuminate your entire being when showered by His Graces!

In todays Gospel (Matthew 9:1-8), true faith is rewarded with courage:

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven." At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, "Why do you harbor evil thoughts? 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 then said to the paralytic, "Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." He rose and went home. When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

In Anne a lay apostle's book The Mist of Mercy, God the Father assures He will give us all the strength we need to survive this world:

“I will heal your hurts and restore your heart to you. I will give you courage and strength so that you can proceed with your earthly journey. I am asking you today, though, to proceed differently. Ask Me to be united to you. In this way, you will come to walk on the path that I, through Jesus Christ, have marked out for you. Dearest children of the world, please walk with Me. I need your help. I, the Almighty God, ask you now to walk with Me. There are many souls crying out to Me in pain. You must bring Me to them. My dear ones, bring Me to them.”

Lay apostles, take the first step to recovery with courage. Courage knowing Jesus is ready to catch us when we fall, and lending His Hands to pull us back up onto our feet.

Thank you, Lord, for the courage to accept what I must and the strength to change my focus to You and not the world.


God bless,
Bonnie

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

July Monthly Message - Just What the Doctor Ordered!

We continue our cycle of monthly messages for 2015 with the message from July 1, 2007 for our prayer groups and personal reflection.  

Jesus


I am with you. How often I repeat this. I, Jesus, am with you. I, Jesus, will never leave you. I see everything that occurs in your life. I understand exactly where your pain originates. More than anyone, I understand you. Much of the suffering my little ones experience is from loneliness. Even if you are surrounded by others, you can feel lonely. You see, dear apostles, each person feels alone until he rests with Me. It is only after becoming united to Me that you can love each other as you were intended to love each other. There are many who do not allow themselves to be united to Me. I cannot force Myself upon them. They are free to reject Me. But because they reject Me, they cannot love others as they were intended to love others. Others, sadly, remain unloved. Others become wounded. Others strike out in their pain, causing more distress. Humanity was created to live on earth connected to God. My apostles, even though you struggle, you remain connected to Me. I am able to heal you and send love through you. The signs of My presence are all around you, even though you struggle. Believe this. If you look at a person who has rejected Me, you will see signs of that rejection. If you look at a world which has rejected Me, you will also see signs. My beloved ones, when you see signs that God has been rejected, you must remain peaceful. I, Jesus, have told you that change is necessary. I, Jesus, have told you that I desire change. I do not abandon you and I do not abandon the world. I have many friends in this world and you are among them. You trust Me, I know. I will honour the trust you have placed in Me. I will bring all things to the good, both in your life and in the world. I, the Blameless One, have never betrayed another and I will not betray you. Think often on the promises I have made to you. I have said I will never leave you. I have said I will protect My interests in your soul. I have said I will pursue conversion of your loved ones. During this time, I want each apostle to consider these promises. Serve Me in steadiness, of course, but also, serve Me in peace. Dear apostles, you are connected to Me. You accept My love. You know that just as I cherish you, I cherish all others. My dear friends, please live these truths because others are looking to you for example. Please. Give an example of joyful trust. I need this from you so that I can draw hurting souls back to Me. I am with you. I will help you to do this. 


Have you been blessed through the Volumes? Please help others receive these words by donating a dollar a day. Your donation makes a big difference. 

 

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