A Simple Truth

Faith is a gift. I never understood the depth of that statement until I found this apostolate. Every day we come across people who don't believe in God, who have no desire to believe in God, because it means changing their heart. Some are so wounded, they blame God for their problems. No accountability, no responsibility for their actions. They seek to judge others because it makes them feel better about themselves. Well, the simple Truth is we ARE all accountable and responsible for our actions. And yes, sometimes our choices are not stellar. But, I have discovered something along my journey in life . . . I was given the gift of faith, and that I owe to my mother. I have never doubted God's existence. I believe in God as sure as I have a nose on my face . . . always there with me no matter where I go! So, if you've been given the gift of faith and only partially opened the gift, it's time to take the lid off and begin receiving all the graces from it!

Todays Gospel (Luke 11:29-32) provides a simple truth, stop searching for proof of God's existence, and look to His Son for confirmation:

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.  Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Lessons in Love, she beautifully illustrates the importance of doing all for His Glory:

"I often think of St. John the apostle at the foot of the cross. We could look at St. John’s role in the Passion and think correctly, ‘My goodness, what a privileged position St. John was awarded.’ In considering the matter, one might wonder what qualified St. John to accompany Jesus and Mary so intimately on this torturous day. What we know about St. John is that he was remembered by the purity of his love. He is called the Lord’s beloved apostle. What did love prompt him to do that day that nobody else did? He showed up, first of all, and then he stayed. The day got uglier and uglier, the crowds more venomous. It did not appear to be a day of triumph, even though we know it turned out to be so. St. John showed up, and he stayed. Was Jesus able to verbalize his tremendous gratitude to John at the time of His Passion? Was Jesus able to chat about John’s concerns? Hardly. He had his hands full dealing with His own considerable difficulties. The best Jesus could do was to assign John a task. “Son, behold your mother.” Was there any other apostle there to accept this task? No. Just John. I would guess that John did not do a lot of talking on that day. I would guess he just stayed, suffering Jesus and Mary’s anguish, uniquely willing to remain in a circle of suffering and grief that could be called unparalleled. Is there a greater example of loyalty, love or fellowship? Can we imagine the Lord’s gratitude even though it was not expressed on that day? I do not think so. I do not think we can ever imagine the extent of the Lord’s gratitude to St. John. I think, though, that His gratitude resonates throughout heaven, eternally preserved. We are called to be like John to each other. We are called to show up for each other and we are called to stay, often in silence or in service or in silent service. This is pure love. Why does pure love seem to be so elusive during this time? Well, we are called the Me Generation. That, all by itself, is a condemnation of our times. Love cries out for sacrifice but many of these cries go unheard. In some cases, the cries are mocked. People are encouraged to seek satisfaction for themselves. But we are a community people, intended to give and accept Christ in each other. If I am wholly concentrated on serving myself and filling my own needs, I become unavailable to serve others. As stated, people crave love as Christ craves love. This is the way we are created. But now some people experience guilt about this as though they are not worthy of being loved or as though they are not entitled to be loved or even as though they are asking too much in expecting to be loved. There are many making do with crumbs from the table when they should be experiencing a great Christian feast. We should never be ashamed that we crave love, from God, from each other, and from the world around us. Each person is created to be valued and loved and in this period of great advances, there is a historically unique opportunity to live out the Christian call to honor each of God’s created children." 

Lay apostles, if you haven't fully committed yourself to walking this journey with Christ, what is your hesitation? Think about that today. It's surprising how what we think is a hurdle is actually a curb. Hope your Lenten journey is changing your heart . . . I know it is helping mine.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Faith. I am forever grateful You instilled it in my mother. 

God bless,

Bonnie

A Lenten Frame of Mind - Daily Reflections for Lent 2016

Better late than never . . . ;-)

On Ash Wednesday I published my 4th book, A Lenten Frame of Mind! It is only available in digital format on Amazon.com. It contains daily reflections of the Gospel and messages from heaven through Anne a lay apostle. I was blessed to have my husband Jay (and best male writer I know!), Annie Clarke (my favorite young adult writer!), and my daughter Taylor (BEST. PHOTOGRAPHER. EVER!) assist me in this project of love. 

Click on the book to get a copy!

God bless on this Lenten journey 2016!

Bonnie

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 and 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

Our Heavenly Inheritance

This year will be the 9th anniversary of my mother's death. Hard to believe the time has flown by so quickly. My mother suffered many tragedies as a child, inducing a lifetime of mental illness. But there was one thing she was very clear on . . . her inheritance in heaven. She would always say considering she was an orphan and a widow (after my father died), she surely would have the greatest riches in heaven. I remember thinking she might be spending a bit of time in purgatory before seeing those riches, but nevertheless, I knew she was right. So many look for their inheritance here on earth . . . thinking more money in their bank account means a better life. I've seen and heard about families feuding over an item left behind . . . coveting a material object instead of comforting each other for their loss of a loved one. It's time to let go of material things and start focusing on our heavenly inheritance. I will leave you with this quote from the movie Bella. The main female lead, Nina, says "I've done the research and ten out of ten people die." We are all heading in the same direction toward eternal life . . . we only have this one chance to do it right. The time to start is now.

Todays Gospel (Matthew 25:31-46) couldn't be any clearer, and make my choice any easier . . . I want to be on the right side:

Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

In the Monthly Message from January 2006, Jesus calls us to accept the Truth and our inheritance:

"Dear friends of the Saviour, together We are changing your world. When souls feel fear, We will bring calm. When souls feel anger, We will bring forgiveness. When souls feel abandoned, We will bring love. When souls feel great grief, We will bring comfort. And when souls see death, We will bring them to an acceptance of heaven so that they understand eternal life. Many in the world today do not understand their inheritance. This creates a fear of death that prevents souls from living fully. If a soul accepts the Truth about eternity, that soul works for Me because the soul knows that glory only lasts if it is obtained for heaven. The glory of heaven is love and is obtained by how much one loved on earth. Souls will be disappointed when they look back on their life if their life was lived in selfishness and if their purpose in life was to obtain worldly goods. This will be a disappointment for them, for Me, and for their families if their families were led astray by this flawed vision of the purpose of life. If you realign the purpose in your life, I will then help to realign the purpose for each member of your family. This is My promise to you. Make Me, Jesus Christ, the purpose of your life, and I will work through you to claim the world."

Lay apostles, we can learn so much from the Gospels! Listen to Jesus. Believe His words. Add the messages in the Volumes and all of Anne a lay apostle's books. The combination will open your eyes to a world you never imagined. 

Thank you, Lord, for making clear in the Gospel today what we all need to do for our treasures in heaven. And thank you for sending the messages through Anne to assist where we don't understand.

God bless,

Bonnie

Good Ol’ Temptation

February 14, 2016 - Happy Valentine's Day!

Temptation presents itself in many ways . . . it can be as subtle as a candy bar to a diabetic or a simple flirtation with a married co-worker. There is the temptation to judge, ridicule, demean or terrorize. Temptation to inflict the pain inward, believing the words self hatred spews when we look in the mirror.  So what makes temptation so “tempting?” When we really dig down deep, the underlying emotion is fear. Fear of not being smart enough, pretty enough, lovable enough, or respected. All wounds of an imperfect childhood infecting any self worth we struggle to hang on to. Evaluating ourselves with worldly eyes will almost always cause us to doubt our goodness. So, here is my question. Why aren’t we seeing ourselves through the eyes of Christ? He suffered every temptation possible as a man on this earth. He overcame those temptations by seeing everything with the eyes of Our Heavenly Father. By staying focused on God, Jesus was able to save all of us. Just think of all we can do through Christ to lead others to heaven, lay apostles! He has given us the recipe to reject temptation in the Bible and in the Volumes. Time to start preparing!

Todays Gospel (Luke 4:1-13) is clear . . . reject temptation as it is only from the evil one:

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan  and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,  to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days,  and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,  command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him,  “It is written, One does not live on bread alone.” Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and glory;  for it has been handed over to me,  and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” When the devil had finished every temptation,  he departed from him for a time.

In Anne a lay apostle’s book The Mist of Mercy, there is no question as to behavior characteristic of evil:

“Who is the Devil? The FBI uses criminal profiling to assist with crime investigation and prevention. Profiling an offender helps to identify one likely to commit a certain type of crime. It is good to know our enemy because we can then protect ourselves from those who seek to hurt us. Below is a list of characteristics of the devil.

• Arrogant • Cruel • Proud • Hateful • Envious • Angry • Jealous 

Liar • Cold • Unfeeling • Duplicitous • Callous • Selfish in the extreme • Unkind • Sneaky • Sly • Unscrupulous • Manipulative • Stubborn • Hates innocence • Unfaithful • Mocking • Destructive • Slippery • Gleeful at humanity’s pain • False, phoney, fake • Mimics holiness/ goodness/honesty • Disobedient • Dishonest • Evil • Tricky • Never changing in terms of his goals • Always seeking destruction of mankind • Slave to his hatred, it rules him, dictates his every action and emotion                                                                           

Remember that the devil despises obedience because he is powerless against it. When he approaches a person who is obedient, the devil slams into an impenetrable barrier. This fills him with fury because he is helpless. The devil can use a guilty conscience powerfully so we must be diligent about accepting God’s forgiveness and making the most of the abundant graces dispensed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Consider that God has a gift for each of us in the confessional. This gift has been hand designed by God, who looks deeply into our soul and determines exactly what we need at a particular moment. Nobody knows us like our Savior.”

Lay apostles, do any of the above characteristics describe you? Be honest with yourself. Most of us are not any of the above to the extreme, but I know I am guilty of a few to some degree at times. I am confident that with Christ, I can overcome anything. And, so can you.

Thank you, Lord, for gently nudging me when my behaviors become characteristic of evil. Your mercy is so great and this sinner so thankful!

God bless,

Bonnie

What's the Point of Fasting?

Today is the first Friday of Lent.  You will see in both the first reading and the Gospel, God is giving us powerful messages to aid in our conversion. After reading them, my mind drifted to a time when I was a little girl at Christmastime. My little sister and I, when our parents would leave the house (we had two older sisters at home), sneaked into Mom and Dad's room to count the number of Christmas presents bearing our names, hidden in their closet. The first time we did this, I remember boasting my number excitedly. Then came my sister's number . . . it was two more than mine!  She, in little sister style, did her happy dance. And boisterously taunted she had two more than me with her "ha ha ha-ha ha" added for effect. I was so mad! How come she got two more than me? I painfully wondered. It's not fair! I think that was the year I said something to my mother about it. Every Christmas thereafter, the numbers were equal and presents were strategically stored on the upper shelf of their closet (although, unbeknownst to them, we would bring a stool or chair in to peek!). Just as my sister and I should have been thankful our parents could afford and wanted to give us gifts, we should be grateful God, in Sacred Scripture, gives us clear guidance in what He expects of His Children. 

In todays first reading (Isaiah 58:1-9A), God defines, through the prophet Isaiah, what true fasting looks like (and doesn't look like):

Thus says the Lord GOD: Cry out full-throated and unsparingly, lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;  Tell my people their wickedness, and the house of Jacob their sins.  They seek me day after day, and desire to know my ways, Like a nation that has done what is just and not abandoned the law of their God; They ask me to declare what is due them, pleased to gain access to God. “Why do we fast, and you do not see it? afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?”

Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits, and drive all your laborers. Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting, striking with wicked claw. Would that today you might fast so as to make your voice heard on high! Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: That a man bow his head like a reed and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? 

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!

Todays Gospel (Matthew 9:14-15) reminds us to keep our fasting to ourselves, and not compare it to another's:

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

In Volume Seven, St. Philomena has wonderful advice during our Lenten fasting:

"Do not fear bodily hardships because these things are fleeting. Be in the habit of denying your body a little every day. Again, this is practice. When you deny yourself, perhaps in fasting, you have not said, 'I will never eat again.' You have said, 'I will not eat for now. I will eat later.' It is the same. If you are in a position where your body is being denied something, simply tell yourself that you are being denied at the moment but not forever. You will pray and give thanks to God whatever the circumstances and souls will be saved in great numbers from your prayers of acceptance. There will be the greatest graces available so I do not fear for you because when you experience these times you will have exactly the graces you require. Jesus is so good and He loves us so much! Concentrate on this, my dear friends, and you will not nourish useless fears."

Lay apostles, were you aware of what God wishes us to do in regard to fasting? I know I've read this passage many times before, but reading it today has new meaning. Doing without food opens us to surrender our own wants and needs to God, heightening our awareness of how much we need Him. But how we use that awareness is what counts. What good works can you do today? If you need some help figuring that out, just reread Isaiah above. The Lord is very clear. 

Thank you, Lord, for this time of fasting during Lent. Please give me the strength to adhere to food fasting so I am open and aware of the fasting You truly desire. 

God bless,

Bonnie

Anne's First Thursday Talk from Ireland

February 2016 First Thursday Talk for prayer groups and personal reflection. Available in both video and text.

 

 

(click photo to play video)

We gather together tonight on the cusp of a Lenten journey. We may have mixed emotions about Lent. Some dread the thought of restricting food or entertainment. Others relish the idea of diving more deeply into spiritual concepts for forty days. Either way, Lent is nearly upon us and God will have thoughts about how we should journey with Him during this period of purification and penance.

And so we must contemplate. We look into our prayer life for direction and consider ourselves, with God’s help. What is our condition? What habits or fixations might be interfering with our joy? What do we need to let go of? Where does our thinking need to change? Where do we need healing? Is there an old wound around which we need recovery? The Stations of the Cross have rich textures and depths for us. Here was Jesus, the man, walking through cruelty and emerging triumphant. How do we know that Jesus was triumphant? One indication is that at the end of it all, He asked God to pardon His tormentors. Are we prepared to do that yet? That will be the goal in terms of our disposition as Christians. “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us”. Not always easy. Definitely we need God’s help sometimes.

So let us talk about forgiveness, recalling that it is a room for regular work in our contemplative prayer structure. In summary, we need to arrive at a place where we can say ‘I forgive myself. I forgive others. And I am forgiven.’ This is the place of freedom. We want to live happy lives, creatively expressing God and engaging with our wounds honestly. To do that, we must admit that we’ve been hurt, often by those closest to us, and get on with life, healed and strengthened by the experiences of the cross.

Why is this so important? Well we want to communicate joy and we want to prepare for heaven painstakingly. What is heaven like? Think about it. Heaven is a place where St. Paul could die and be received joyously by St. Stephan. Why is this significant? Because St. Stephan was murdered, like Jesus, by a crowd’s frenzy of hatred and St. Paul stood by, a guilty bystander. Did St. Paul think he was guilty at the time? No. he thought he was right in persecuting the followers of Jesus Christ. And there are those who will persecute us and call it righteous. They’ll insist on their innocence, even as they commit crimes against us.

We read in Scripture John Chapter 16 verse 2…they will expel you from the synagogues, and indeed the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is doing a holy service to God. Where do we find that today? Obviously euthanasia and abortion. But also somewhere else, perhaps a little less obvious. Scientists in England have received permission to perform testing on people whom they identify as ‘left over’ embryos from a fertility clinic. These people, admittedly small, it would seem have been either surrendered or abandoned by their parents and if the research is cleared are to be martyred to what some are calling science. This was only done once before, in China last year and there was widespread outcry and protest. Critics have claimed that allowing embryos to be edited potentially opens the door to designer babies and genetically modified people. My friends, these ‘left over embryos’ are not in a position to offer themselves. They cannot give consent. That makes them victims of modern arrogance in the same way that people were victims of bizarre medical testing in concentration camps. I actually do not see the difference. The license will need research ethics approval, so we should all pray that God’s will prevails.

Well, how might God view this? I think the word grief would be important. I think our Father in heaven grieves such atrocities. And so must we. Each of these ‘left over embryos’ is part of our human family. I find myself, in response to this, recognizing these people as my brothers and sisters and taking joy in their presence on earth. I send them each great love through prayer. I thank God for every one of them and ask Him for protection on them, because we must always look out for the victims first. And for the misguided perpetrators and the courts and tribunals who may fail to arrest this process? May the Father forgive them in what we hope is their ignorance.

For this reason, the following Catechism piece is notable. CCC 1753 a good intention does not make behavior that is intrinsically disordered, such as lying or calumny, good or just. The end does not justify the means. So….you cannot do a bad thing, even if it is in the service of a greater good.

My friends, we have to be about the business of holding ourselves accountable in a healthy manner. For example, I have known people who will not tell a lie, even a white lie, which is called white, presumably, because its motive is thought to be good. These people whom I’ve encountered, are serious about honesty. And sometimes their telling of the truth can sting. But one knows, if this person is saying a thing that it is as close to the truth as it can possibly be.

But why is forgiveness so darn hard sometimes?

First of all, we might make the mistake of saying, ‘Oh I will forgive. Sure. Just as soon as that person apologizes.’ Does that sound familiar? It should. We have all felt this way. I know I have. But given that we have limited self-awareness at times, we have to assume that others, also, possess limited self-awareness. And some people have so little self-awareness that it is a disorder. Think of the person who punches another and then complains because his fist hurts. This is true. And real. People get entangled with each other in their humanity and they simply do not know the extent of the damage they are inflicting or the extent of their personal responsibility. Saint Paul thought he was doing the right thing by letting the crowd kill St. Stephan. Hard to imagine. But it happened.

Saint Paul would probably have said at the time, Look, I didn’t make that decision. Within that culture at that time stoning was an accepted methodology for killing those condemned. So Saint Paul had an answer when someone asked him why. And maybe the people who hurt us also have answers when someone asks them why they have done wrong things to us. And you and I have answers, sometimes, for why we have done wrong things. And so the process of forgiveness is possibly a process of asking. Why might someone have done this? Have you ever heard yourself say, What were you thinking? If you are a Mom or Dad you have heard yourself say this I would guess. This is actually a good question to ask but the tone has to be right. We might say to another, Hmmm. I’m confused by your action. And I’m wondering, what were you thinking there? And we might say to ourselves, what was I thinking at the time I committed that sin? What is different about the second tone? It is kind. There is interest in the question. It is legitimately seeking an answer, not just condemning self or other. And so in the room of forgiveness in our contemplative prayer structure, as we contemplate those who have hurt us in the presence of Christ, we might wonder about why people committed bad actions against us.

I heard someone say something very beautiful once. This was a Hollywood actress. She was Irish. And she was working in New York and she left work one day and a man accosted her and sexually assaulted her. Years later, she recalled the event openly, with great freedom. She said, to paraphrase, “I never condemned the man. It was never about me or who I was, at that time or this time. He had problems. And I didn’t take it personally because that would be like me thinking that his problems were my problems. I didn’t have problems like he did. So I forgave him and got on with my life.” It was so clear that she had processed the event and integrated the crime committed against her. And she had forgiven. She had contemplated the offender with compassion, and crucially, she had distanced herself from his mental disorder.

So…that is the job at hand for us all. We won’t get through life without being injured physically, emotionally, sexually or spiritually. We want to expect to have to be resilient and recover ourselves when we get hurt. We can do it! Not to say it will always be easy, but we can recover and flourish with Christ.

And as Christians, we have to ask another question. Metaphorically speaking, where are we stoning people today and calling it righteous? In our own lives? In our workplaces? In our schools? Who is being publicly humiliated? Think of students in schools. Prisoners in prisons. Employees in the workplace. Family members in families. Or left over embryos in laboratories. It takes courage to stand down bullies. But God will give us courage when we need it. And if we are the bully? It takes humility to admit that we are playing out our wounds against other people, because we cannot or will not engage with them.

In some of these places mentioned we will encounter the concept that we are doing something ‘for someone’s own good’ or doing something to ‘toughen someone up’. Have you heard this? Many children will cite situations where they were traumatized by someone who claimed that this was their motive for hurting, humiliating or punishing the child harshly. Maybe we are guilty of this ourselves. We must all be a little guilty, really, of doing this at times. But that does not make it okay. We need to repent if we have hurt others, even if we thought we were doing the right thing at the time. That makes us less guilty but it doesn’t make the people less hurt. Right? So we try to apologize when we become aware that we’ve hurt others. Is this part of our Lenten journey?

To close, heaven is a place where Saint Paul could be welcomed by Saint Stephan in great joy. Offender and victim, simply put, rejoicing together that life has been lived and heaven achieved, the race run. Think of these two men, brothers, having a wonderful time in heaven, together. And when this idea fills you with revulsion because you do not want to think of heaven with the people who have hurt you, don’t feel badly. That’s natural. If you feel this way though, about people who may be enemies now, remember that you are considering them minus their transformation. Nobody is getting into heaven without full knowledge and full repentance. So…in a very real sense, if someone hurt you deliberately, they’ll be sorry. Let’s say that two ways. Bitterly, as in they’ll be sorry. And then we say it as Christ would say it as in, oh dear. They’ll be so sorry. Forgive them, Father.  

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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.

The Daily Cross by guest blogger Sarah Heller, age 13

There are many challenges, which we as lay apostles of the Returning King must deal with and suffer through in our lives. One of these is our crosses. We all have daily crosses and we may have crosses that only last a short while . . . crosses such as injury, sickness, etc. A few months ago I had an injury on my skateboard. The day it happened, before I got to the hospital, I was in a lot of pain (for about an hour or so before I got any medicine). I kept saying to myself, “God why did this happen? If only I had not gone to the park today.” I have realized that in my suffering, which I offered to Him for others, He helped many. This has reminded me of a lesson Jesus keeps teaching, (yet I guess I am not listening too well, although I think I got it now), which is that EVERYTHING happens for a reason. And He uses our mistakes for our good and the good of others. It has taken about 3 months or so to heal, after being in the hospital for 4 days. I had surgery, which took 4 hours . . . yes, it was a very bad injury. It was hard, I can tell you that much, but what helped me get through it was God, and the awesome people He put in my way to help me. What I am trying to say here is that no matter what kind of cross you have, God WILL take care you! Be encouraged that God, who is almighty and all-powerful loves us and cares for us as His children. 

In today’s Gospel (Luke 9:22-25) Jesus tells us that He must suffer for us. He is telling us that since Jesus suffered on our behalf for our sins we too must suffer for our sins, for others’ sins and for Him mostly, because through our suffering He can give great graces to those who need them. So do not carry your crosses as if they don’t matter because they do. Jesus uses our suffering for the good of others: 

Jesus said to his disciples:

“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”

In the Monthly Message from January 1, 2008, Jesus tells us this:

“On the contrary, it is through your daily joys and sorrows that you are learning the lessons of love. You might think that your cross is heavy and perhaps in truth the cross that you carry is heavy. You might think that you would proceed more easily or more swiftly without the cross. This is possible, My friends, but to what purpose? Surely, I, Jesus Christ, could have advanced more quickly and comfortably to Calvary without the jeering of the crowds, the physical infirmities or the weight of the cross. This is an obvious statement. But you were destined to be saved by My Passion. The whole world benefited by My decision to accept God’s will, which included suffering. In the same way, the world is benefiting from your decision to accept the crosses in your life. You offer Me your day. This is such a simple thing from the eyes of the world and yet, from the eyes of heaven, this is a very large offering indeed. Do not be afraid of the cross in each day. Do not think that your cross will interfere with the plan that I have for you. The truth is the opposite. The plan that I have for you includes suffering and your holiness will increase because of your crosses.”

So you see Lay Apostles, Jesus tells us both in this message and in the Gospel that we must take up our crosses and follow Him. Now we may sin, but it is part of our experience. In the Stations of the Cross, which of the stations is repeated? Think about it . . . only one and that is the three times Jesus fell. Jesus fell because He was also tired, but what did He do? He got back up and suffered some more for us. We will get tired too sometimes, and not want our crosses. We may say “God take this suffering from me” (I am guilty of this, and I know I am not the only one) but we must fight through it like Jesus did. Pray today that Jesus will give you the strength and courage to get back up when you fall into sin and temptation. 

I thank God for this apostolate, and all the lives it has changed including mine! I also thank God during this Lenten season for the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son because it is through His Passion we have access to eternal life and are saved from our sins. I thank Bonnie also for giving me this opportunity to be a guest writer on her blog!

God Bless,

Sarah Heller

Ash Wednesday 2016

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

EGO - Edging God Out

Today we deal with the 'ol ego . . . the part of existing as a human being we all struggle with. I found a great quote from writer Paul Sposite on www.Catholic.org about ego:

"The ego’s job is to make you feel better about yourself, and it will do what ever it needs to do to make that happen. The ego is the voice inside of you that tells you to kick them when they are down, to make others feel bad about themselves; all in the name of lifting yourself up, making you feel better about you."

We all want to feel safe, secure, and loved. Seems like it should be easy to obtain, doesn't it? Especially if we try to do it right in the eyes of Christ. But in reality, the closer we get to achieving intimacy with Jesus, the brighter His Light shines from us. And the brighter His Light shines, the more we are "noticed." Sometimes those who notice us haven't yet discovered the security and graces Jesus bestows on His true followers, allowing evil to pounce on that tiny window of self doubt. The self doubt which triggers the ego. I have been in the presence of people who no matter what I say, they've done it better, bigger or grander. Instead of reacting, I now see the ego for what it is . . . our human weakness. We must fight the temptation of making ourselves feel important by parading our strengths (real or perceived!) in order to appear better than we really are . . . which truly places the self before God. Focus on showing God how great you really are, not your spouse, friend, acquaintance, etc. Stop "Edging God Out." Stop it now.

In todays Gospel (Mark 6:14-29), ego causes the death of our beloved John the Baptist:King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias’ own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

In Volume Seven, St. Damien has some great advice about keeping your ego in check:

"Egos are difficult friends and dreadful rulers. Keep your ego on a very short leash and understand that your merit lies in your obedience to Christ. Do not take credit for what Christ does through you. He cannot entrust great missions to you if your ego swells with each success. When your work is successful, praise God. When your work fails, praise God. When the sun shines, praise God. When the rain falls, praise God. Do you get the idea? You serve Him and He will do great things through you. These great things have nothing to do with you except that you allowed heaven to use you as an instrument. Your merit in heaven will not depend on the greatness of your mission or the greatness of what Christ accomplished through you. Your merit will reflect the work you did in your soul, the policing of your ego, the honing of the virtues, the self denial, and the love that you allowed to flow through you to other souls."

Lay apostles, do a little work on your ego today. Read the Litany of Humility over and over. It will do wonders for that 'ol ego, I promise!

Thank you, Lord, for all the times my ego was bruised and You were there to comfort me. Please continue to give me the grace and fortitude I need to keep my mouth shut when under attack!

God bless,
Bonnie

Lighten Up For The Journey

A few years ago, I lost my Platinum status on Delta Airlines. My previous employment required a great deal of traveling . . . my territory was the entire U.S. There were a few perks of being Platinum . . . automatic upgrades to first class if available and the fast lane at airport security. For frequent travelers, this is a huge benefit. Knowing I could get a cup of coffee before takeoff in my roomy seat up front made the long hauls a little easier to tolerate. But Platinum status used to mean flying over 75,000 miles in one year. In 2011, the time away from home was insignificant as I was single with no responsibilities other than myself. My dog of 16 years had died that April, two of my girls were married and my youngest daughter was on the other coast in college. I quit my traveling job that November to write full time. The joy of Platinum status lingered throughout 2012. When I think about that year and losing the Platinum status, I am reminded of all the miracles in 2012 I never would have experienced had I been constantly traveling . . . the birth of my first grandson Connor; meeting the love of my life and having ample time to fall in love (so blessed he is now my husband!); the addition of another young woman to love - Jay's daughter Christine; and, the birth of my second grandson Colton.  The craziness of making it to the airport on time, delayed or cancelled flights, sleeping in uncomfortable hotel room beds, renting cars and trying to navigate in strange towns kept me busy and constantly on the go. My life is so different now. Status doesn't matter. Flying first class is nice, but not required when I have Jay by my side in coach. As I said goodbye to my Platinum status that year, I said goodbye to a different life . . . one I barely recognize any more. As corny as this sounds, all you need is love, love, love. Love is all you need . . . everything else is just baggage!

In todays Gospel (Mark 6:7-13), Jesus informs His Apostles to lighten up for the journey ahead:

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

In Volume Nine, Jesus asks us to bring His Light to others through our love for Him. Attempt it boldly, even if at first His Love is rejected:

"There are many ways in which a soul can serve the Kingdom. In these times, though, more than in the past, souls are called upon to evangelize for Me. This means I need souls to bring Me to others. We must seek out each lonely, hurting soul who is isolated from his divine family. If you bring Me to a soul, I can melt that soul’s heart and fill it with joy. The soul can then begin to learn about the vast family of love that seeks to draw him back. Dearest little servants of the Savior, My angels will direct you to these souls. Be alert to their promptings and whispers because they see everything and they know who needs your assistance. If you feel an impulse to approach a soul with these words, do so. Trust those instincts. Even if a soul initially ridicules you, he will eventually face a time of fear or anguish, and, searching for some kind of comfort, he will reach for the book you have given him. If the words are not there, he cannot reach for them. If the Volume has been given to him, he will open it. Be at peace at the reactions of others. You cannot force a soul to learn about Me, but you can suggest that he do so. You can give witness to My presence by talking about your love for Me and the graces you have received from Me. Talk about peace. Talk about joy. Talk about calm. Do not talk about the enemy."

Lay apostles, what baggage are you clinging to? Is it status? Career? Money? Grudges? Think about how important those things will be in heaven. Yeah, I'm thinking the first will be last and the last will be first. Let it go. Lighten up!

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me how to lighten my load here on earth and focus on virtues I will be thankful for in heaven.

God bless,

Bonnie

Faith in the Truth

There was no one prouder of the fact I became a registered nurse than my mother. It was a career she dreamed of in her troubled childhood and never was able to achieve. She would brag to anyone who would listen. The most embarrassing was the policeman who pulled me over for speeding. When he came to the window to ask for my driver's license and registration, she leaned over me and told him I was an R.N. (she accentuated the letters . . . RRRRR NNNNN!). He looked at her, then looked at me. "Good for you. License and registration please." As humiliating as it was, I knew she meant well . . . until it involved her own health. My assessments and diagnoses were not satisfying most of the time and according to her, required the eyes of a doctor. The last year of her life was spent running around to every specialist in town. None of them had satisfying diagnoses either. Despite success in my nursing career, she lacked faith in my knowledge and ability to care for her. As difficult as it was, it did teach me to have complete faith in my daughters and the careers they have chosen. They all work hard and love what they do. Between the four of them, I'm pretty sure I have all my bases covered . . . politics, behavior analysis, photography and aesthetics. Adding my husband Jay's dentistry/real estate background to the mix, well, let's just say the Lord has blessed me abundantly. I am a work in progress . . . learning to never lack faith in Him . . . the ultimate Truth.

Todays Gospel (Mark 6:1-6) demonstrates the disappointment when those closest lack faith in who you are:

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, she encourages us to acknowledge where we are lacking faith in the Truth:

"In heaven it is all about love and all about Jesus. The Savior, Jesus Christ, is well and truly united to each soul, to the extent that when Jesus enters a room or an area in heaven, nobody remarks upon it because He never leaves any soul. There is constant unity with Christ in the soul. This is available to us here on earth. We are only separated by our lack of faith and lack of commitment to His will. If a soul commits himself to Jesus here on earth, and embarks upward on the mountain path through the service Jesus has willed for the individual, that soul is united to Jesus. Jesus is welcome in that soul and Jesus begins to work through that soul in the unique way that only He could have intended and planned. Each soul has a purpose and the purpose has so many facets over the lifetime of service, or indeed over one day, that we cannot imagine the richness of His plan. But we trust in His plan and that is all that matters."

Lay apostles, I have read every one of the Volumes, Heaven Speaks booklets and all Anne's books. Jesus is very clear in directing us to face the Truth and proudly walk as soldiers in His army . . . an army of lay apostles who bring His Light not only to our loved ones, but to every person we come in contact with. Believe His words, heed His warnings. Simply loving Him makes it so easy. Pull out a Volume today. Read one of His messages. Have faith.

Thank you, Lord, for strengthening my faith in You every day. I am so grateful for the love You give me and have surrounded me with.

God bless,
Bonnie

February Monthly Message!

We continue our cycle of monthly messages for 2016 with the message from February 1, 2008 for our prayer groups and personal reflection.

February 1, 2008

Jesus 

My friend, heaven has accomplished many things with your service to the Kingdom. Shall I tell you what we are achieving together? First of all, we have increased your holiness. It is true, dear apostle. With your cooperation, I have been able to advance you in virtue. Consider where you were in the holiness walk when you first committed to serving as My apostle. Consider where you are now. You will see that you have advanced, even though you also see that you have additional work to do in this regard. I want you to understand, though, that progress has been made so that you will rejoice and have hope for additional progress. This is good for you and good for heaven. Next, your service to the Kingdom has been used to bring light to other souls. Think for a moment. Is it not true that you have tried to treat others more like I treated others? Is it not true that there have been times when you returned love for hostility? Have you not discovered that you view even your enemies with greater compassion? Think dear apostles. Have you shared My merciful message with others? Have they benefited? Without your cooperation, this could not have happened. Yes, many have benefited because you have chosen to serve Me. Would you like to know of another result of your service? Heaven, as you know, is filled with perfect love and comfort. I love all of humanity, of course, but not everyone returns My love. Because of your cooperation, I, Jesus Christ, have received a greater amount of love and comfort from your world. You, in your determination to serve Me, have bestowed upon Me the greatest consolations. The light from your willingness to serve as I wish you to serve has given Me comfort in a time when My heart aches with loneliness for so many. You have truly become My friend and I hold you in My heart most protectively. All of the intentions in your heart now move to the regular beating of My heart. I will not abandon you and I will not abandon your intentions. Together, we will see to each one of them. The loyalty you feel for your loved ones is shared by Me in that your holy desires become personal to Me as they are personal to you. Just as you are determined that your loved ones be healed, so I am determined that your loved ones be healed. These are joint projects embarked upon by the Savior and His beloved apostle. You are never alone in your concerns or your crosses. I thank you for helping heaven to accomplish so much and I will reward you, in part, by keeping the promise I have made to seek conversion of all of those dear to you. Be at peace in every trial, please, because I am with you.

  

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Staying Clear of Chaos

I don't do chaos anymore. I don't let it enter my life. When it appears unexpectedly in the form of an attack, it's like shooting a BB gun at the hull of a cruise ship . . . doesn't even make a dent (thank you Jay for the great analogy!). But every once in while, multiple shots are fired instantaneously causing a sore spot. The initial impact stings, but damage is minimal. As the pain diminishes, a bruise appears as a reminder of the incident. Eventually it fades and is forgotten. How do we conduct ourselves when under spiritual attack? Well, I see two options. One, we can overreact, running around screaming our heads off, telling anyone who is willing listen about the injustice of it all. Or, we can surround ourselves with heavenly armor. We can summon all of heaven . . . God, Jesus, Our Lady, saints and angels to protect our souls from damage. We can pray the Rosary. We can ask loved ones to pray for us. And, most importantly, remain focused and prayerful. Evil will take advantage of every opportunity to draw you away from Christ. As lay apostles, we must demonstrate what Jesus and all of heaven have prepared us for in the Volumes . . . that His true followers are peaceful, calm, kind, loving and patient under any circumstances. Don't get caught up in the winds of chaos. Step into your spiritual armor and stay protected. Allow Christ to deal with those taking the shots. For sometimes what you thought would bruise is nothing more than a little red spot, disappearing within minutes.

In todays Gospel (Mark 5:1-20), Jesus clears the chaos quickly:

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

In Anne a lay apostle's book Lessons in Love, she encourages us to leave the chaotic battles to Christ:

"It is my opinion that the enemy wants to draw us into conflict with each other and even though a person might be actively serving the enemy, it is not our business to do battle with him. Rather it is our business to do battle with ourselves, leaving Jesus Christ to do battle with the enemy, thus claiming or seeking to claim the soul. In terms of our brothers and sisters, meaning everyone in the world with us, no sins or behaviors, regardless of how bad, change this fact. If they are on earth, we must seek to bring them to the light through prayer and example and evangelization when possible and appropriate. I am in no way denying the call to protect and defend God’s truth in whatever way God asks us to do so. I am attempting to help us identify the real enemy."

Lay apostles, are you allowing others to create chaos in your life? Are you the chaos creator? There is nothing wrong with loving people from a distance. Set clear boundaries, and when attempts are made to step over those boundaries, bow out and let Jesus take over. We can't change anyone other than ourselves. Live a chaos-free life. Learn to assess where disruptions in joy and peace occur. Then make some changes. He is the only one we need to please.

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me to eliminate chaos from my life. And, for showing me how quickly prayer can change my attitude.

God bless,
Bonnie