"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of March 7-11:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Your Own Wisdom Will Increase
"I believe that when you discuss the trials and joys of the spiritual life for the sake of your friendship with God, you will benefit yourself and whomever you are sharing them with. Your own wisdom will increase, and without even knowing how you did it, you will contribute to the wisdom of your friends." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Well, we made it! Today is my 53rd birthday, and The Wisdom Project will be complete after my prayer report on Friday.
When I started this experiment, one year of reading, writing and praying seemed like a formidable commitment. I wondered if I would have the ability to keep the steady pace required all year long. Not only have I been keeping up with the reading, writing and praying each week, but I have found myself blessed by doing these activities. It has been a life-changing project.
On Sunday I spent some time re-reading entries, and I remembered some of the trials and joys of the past year: my prayer chair, a young man carrying groceries, fresh blueberry pie, dipping my bucket on dry-well days, Amelia the puppy, zipping through St. Scholastica’s cloister walk, Cheryl Husby’s prayer mugs, returning to the word, balcony companions, coffee, caramel rolls, transient global amnesia, Holy Mystery, praying on paper, Charlotte’s wisdom gift, the harbor of light in soaking prayer, ringing bells for 35 seconds, the earth’s hush on a snowy day, and Sister Timothy Kirby’s lovelovelove.
Last year I was inspired to begin The Wisdom Project and started with these words from Teresa: “I believe that when you discuss the trials and joys of the spiritual life for the sake of your friendship with God, you will benefit yourself and whomever you are sharing them with. Your own wisdom will increase, and without even knowing how you did it, you will contribute to the wisdom of your friends.” Now my heart is overflowing with gratitude to God, to Teresa and to all my dear friends who have read, prayed and shared wisdom with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Well, we made it! Today is my 53rd birthday, and The Wisdom Project will be complete after my prayer report on Friday.
When I started this experiment, one year of reading, writing and praying seemed like a formidable commitment. I wondered if I would have the ability to keep the steady pace required all year long. Not only have I been keeping up with the reading, writing and praying each week, but I have found myself blessed by doing these activities. It has been a life-changing project.
On Sunday I spent some time re-reading entries, and I remembered some of the trials and joys of the past year: my prayer chair, a young man carrying groceries, fresh blueberry pie, dipping my bucket on dry-well days, Amelia the puppy, zipping through St. Scholastica’s cloister walk, Cheryl Husby’s prayer mugs, returning to the word, balcony companions, coffee, caramel rolls, transient global amnesia, Holy Mystery, praying on paper, Charlotte’s wisdom gift, the harbor of light in soaking prayer, ringing bells for 35 seconds, the earth’s hush on a snowy day, and Sister Timothy Kirby’s lovelovelove.
Last year I was inspired to begin The Wisdom Project and started with these words from Teresa: “I believe that when you discuss the trials and joys of the spiritual life for the sake of your friendship with God, you will benefit yourself and whomever you are sharing them with. Your own wisdom will increase, and without even knowing how you did it, you will contribute to the wisdom of your friends.” Now my heart is overflowing with gratitude to God, to Teresa and to all my dear friends who have read, prayed and shared wisdom with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 53
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of February 28 – March 4:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of February 28 – March 4:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Connection and Companionship, Part 3
"This is why I would advise anyone who practices prayer, at least in the beginning, to cultivate connection and companionship with like-minded souls. This is very important, because we can help each other make progress on the path of prayer and bring each other greater benefits." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
At dinner tonight my daughter Rebecca and I were talking about how next week will be my 53rd birthday which means The Wisdom Project will soon be coming to an end. Rebecca was teasing me that it was easy for her to remember how old I’d be on Tuesday because last year I wrote it would be “Teresa and me all the way to year 53."
If you were with me in the beginning, you might remember that I started this project because one of the requirements of the Shalom Program is to do a culminating activity that encompasses learnings, experience and overall growth. Teresa’s advice to “cultivate connection and companionship with like-minded souls” appealed to me very much, and I was hoping that I could find a group of spiritual friends willing to journey with me.
Teresa says, “[W]e can help each other make progress on the path of prayer and bring each other greater benefits.” I am not sure how much benefit I have brought others, but I definitely have benefited all year from the many people who have supported me in my writing and praying. I have appreciated every kindness, and I thank you most sincerely.
At dinner tonight my daughter Rebecca and I were talking about how next week will be my 53rd birthday which means The Wisdom Project will soon be coming to an end. Rebecca was teasing me that it was easy for her to remember how old I’d be on Tuesday because last year I wrote it would be “Teresa and me all the way to year 53."
If you were with me in the beginning, you might remember that I started this project because one of the requirements of the Shalom Program is to do a culminating activity that encompasses learnings, experience and overall growth. Teresa’s advice to “cultivate connection and companionship with like-minded souls” appealed to me very much, and I was hoping that I could find a group of spiritual friends willing to journey with me.
Teresa says, “[W]e can help each other make progress on the path of prayer and bring each other greater benefits.” I am not sure how much benefit I have brought others, but I definitely have benefited all year from the many people who have supported me in my writing and praying. I have appreciated every kindness, and I thank you most sincerely.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 52
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of February 21-25:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of February 21-25:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
All the Courage God Gave Me
"They say that I am an exceptionally brave woman, far braver than most, but I sometimes had to gather all the courage God gave me to show up and pray." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
For the Shalom Program this month, I am reading Radical Amazement: Contemplative Lessons from Black Holes, Supernovas, and Other Wonders of the Universe by Judy Cannato. The book focuses on how new research in physics shows the universe is more fluid and connected than scientists once believed and that the universe is expanding as it evolves. Cannato begins Radical Amazement with a quote by Rabbi Abraham Heschel: “Awareness of the divine begins with wonder.”
Have you ever felt wonder when you’ve seen a photograph of the earth taken from space? I know I certainly have experienced awe by earth's beauty and the mystery of creation. That bright blue ball with its swirls of white and large chunks of unmarked land is the only home we’ve ever known, and what an amazing thing it is to glimpse our earthly home in the vast darkness of space. Yet how did all this come to be? How did we come to be? No one quite knows, and the work of the scientists continues. In the meantime, contemplatives live in “radical amazement” at all that exists—trusting that the Holy Mystery will continue to be revealed.
Almost 450 years ago Teresa of Avila wrote, “They say that I am an exceptionally brave woman, far braver than most, but I sometimes had to gather all the courage God gave me to show up and pray.” Teresa's reasons for needing courage are different from mine, but I certainly understand the feeling. When I start studying the universe and become alert to all the wonder of the divine, it sometimes causes me to become afraid because the Holy One is so powerful and mysterious. Sometimes I don’t want to connect with God; instead, I’d rather hide. On the days I find myself hiding, it’s more important than ever to follow Teresa’s lead: she looked for all the courage available to her, she sat down in the prayer chair, and she steadfastfully continued to pray.
For the Shalom Program this month, I am reading Radical Amazement: Contemplative Lessons from Black Holes, Supernovas, and Other Wonders of the Universe by Judy Cannato. The book focuses on how new research in physics shows the universe is more fluid and connected than scientists once believed and that the universe is expanding as it evolves. Cannato begins Radical Amazement with a quote by Rabbi Abraham Heschel: “Awareness of the divine begins with wonder.”
Have you ever felt wonder when you’ve seen a photograph of the earth taken from space? I know I certainly have experienced awe by earth's beauty and the mystery of creation. That bright blue ball with its swirls of white and large chunks of unmarked land is the only home we’ve ever known, and what an amazing thing it is to glimpse our earthly home in the vast darkness of space. Yet how did all this come to be? How did we come to be? No one quite knows, and the work of the scientists continues. In the meantime, contemplatives live in “radical amazement” at all that exists—trusting that the Holy Mystery will continue to be revealed.
Almost 450 years ago Teresa of Avila wrote, “They say that I am an exceptionally brave woman, far braver than most, but I sometimes had to gather all the courage God gave me to show up and pray.” Teresa's reasons for needing courage are different from mine, but I certainly understand the feeling. When I start studying the universe and become alert to all the wonder of the divine, it sometimes causes me to become afraid because the Holy One is so powerful and mysterious. Sometimes I don’t want to connect with God; instead, I’d rather hide. On the days I find myself hiding, it’s more important than ever to follow Teresa’s lead: she looked for all the courage available to her, she sat down in the prayer chair, and she steadfastfully continued to pray.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 51
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of February 14-18:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of February 14-18:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Forget About Reckless Zeal
“Let’s understand, my friends, that true perfection means loving God and loving our neighbor. The more perfectly we keep these two commandments, the closer to perfection we will come. All spiritual rules are nothing but means toward the end of spiritual love. Forget about reckless zeal. It can do harm. Let each one of us look to her self.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
This past week Brad and I had a chance to go back to Overland Park, Kansas, where we lived and worked from 1982-1989. Being back on our old stomping grounds meant that we were able to spend time with many old friends, and I am amazed all over again by the power of love and what a difference it makes in our lives.
One of my Overland Park neighbors, Sandy Isham, is studying prayer at her church, and we connected over Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster, a book both of us have used to strengthen our prayer life and increase our understanding of this great mystery called the spiritual journey. Another friend, Cathy Dykman-Cunard, who was part of my church family in Overland Park, is grieving the death of her dear husband, Paul, who died last year of renal cancer. After caring for Paul in his last days, she says she is no longer afraid of death and she knows in a very real way that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Being with Cathy again was a special blessing, and it reminds me how important it is that we hold our soul friends close in prayer no matter how far we roam.
Throughout The Interior Castle, Teresa stresses the necessity of sharing love with others. She writes, “Let’s understand, my friends, that true perfection means loving God and loving our neighbor. The more perfectly we keep these two commandments, the closer to perfection we will come. All spiritual rules are nothing but means toward the end of spiritual love. Forget about reckless zeal. It can do harm. Let each one of us look to her self.” What God requires of us is not reckless zeal; instead, we are asked to walk humbly and focus on love.
Being in Kansas among my longtime friends helped me remember the gift of love—a gift God shares abundantly every single day—and I am so grateful for its grace and peace that is showered upon us by our friends and neighbors. May all the love we experience be returned a hundredfold in every direction possible!
This past week Brad and I had a chance to go back to Overland Park, Kansas, where we lived and worked from 1982-1989. Being back on our old stomping grounds meant that we were able to spend time with many old friends, and I am amazed all over again by the power of love and what a difference it makes in our lives.
One of my Overland Park neighbors, Sandy Isham, is studying prayer at her church, and we connected over Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster, a book both of us have used to strengthen our prayer life and increase our understanding of this great mystery called the spiritual journey. Another friend, Cathy Dykman-Cunard, who was part of my church family in Overland Park, is grieving the death of her dear husband, Paul, who died last year of renal cancer. After caring for Paul in his last days, she says she is no longer afraid of death and she knows in a very real way that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Being with Cathy again was a special blessing, and it reminds me how important it is that we hold our soul friends close in prayer no matter how far we roam.
Throughout The Interior Castle, Teresa stresses the necessity of sharing love with others. She writes, “Let’s understand, my friends, that true perfection means loving God and loving our neighbor. The more perfectly we keep these two commandments, the closer to perfection we will come. All spiritual rules are nothing but means toward the end of spiritual love. Forget about reckless zeal. It can do harm. Let each one of us look to her self.” What God requires of us is not reckless zeal; instead, we are asked to walk humbly and focus on love.
Being in Kansas among my longtime friends helped me remember the gift of love—a gift God shares abundantly every single day—and I am so grateful for its grace and peace that is showered upon us by our friends and neighbors. May all the love we experience be returned a hundredfold in every direction possible!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 50
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of February 7-11:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of February 7-11:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
God Calls to Us, Part 2
“God calls to us in countless little ways all the time. Through illnesses and suffering and through sorrow he calls to us. Through a truth glimpsed fleetingly in a state of prayer he calls to us.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
For this blog entry, I thought I’d report on my retreat at the monastery from Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon by sharing the journal entry I wrote late Friday morning:
I am at the monastery for the second retreat in my Shalom Program. This time I’m staying at the monastery in guest room 307. The retreat started yesterday evening. Sister Michelle Dosch, my Shalom leader, gave me some retreat materials then and we met for Morning Prayer (6:45 a.m.) today. This is a silent retreat, so I have been spending the morning in intercessory prayer. Last night I prayed for people in the light—a soaking prayer—and now I just used one of the retreat texts and prayed for people with it: “Do not fear, ________, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43: 1b-2). That is a powerful verse to pray on someone’s behalf, and I am grateful to Sister Michelle. I’m feeling very alert and relaxed while I am on this retreat. I love the room I am in, and I can’t believe the space of time that stretches out before me for reading, writing and praying. What a gift! I’m trying to gift it right back through my intercessory praying. After I finished using Isaiah, I counted up the people I’d prayed for and found the number to be over 75 people. Those prayers will be circulating in the spiritual realm for more than a thousand years, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be of service.
For this blog entry, I thought I’d report on my retreat at the monastery from Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon by sharing the journal entry I wrote late Friday morning:
I am at the monastery for the second retreat in my Shalom Program. This time I’m staying at the monastery in guest room 307. The retreat started yesterday evening. Sister Michelle Dosch, my Shalom leader, gave me some retreat materials then and we met for Morning Prayer (6:45 a.m.) today. This is a silent retreat, so I have been spending the morning in intercessory prayer. Last night I prayed for people in the light—a soaking prayer—and now I just used one of the retreat texts and prayed for people with it: “Do not fear, ________, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43: 1b-2). That is a powerful verse to pray on someone’s behalf, and I am grateful to Sister Michelle. I’m feeling very alert and relaxed while I am on this retreat. I love the room I am in, and I can’t believe the space of time that stretches out before me for reading, writing and praying. What a gift! I’m trying to gift it right back through my intercessory praying. After I finished using Isaiah, I counted up the people I’d prayed for and found the number to be over 75 people. Those prayers will be circulating in the spiritual realm for more than a thousand years, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be of service.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 49
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 31 – February 4:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 0
Thursday 0
Friday 1 (+1)
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 31 – February 4:
Monday 0
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 0
Thursday 0
Friday 1 (+1)
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
God Calls to Us
“God calls to us in countless little ways all the time. Through illnesses and suffering and through sorrow he calls to us. Through a truth glimpsed fleetingly in a state of prayer he calls to us.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
This week from Thursday night until Saturday afternoon I will be on retreat at the St. Scholastica Monastery. The retreat is part of my coursework for the Shalom Program, and I hope to spend the hours listening to God, asking for help from Jesus, and giving thanks for the Spirit’s abounding grace and peace.
In the sixth dwelling place of The Interior Castle Teresa writes, “God calls to us in countless little ways all the time. Through illnesses and suffering and through sorrow he calls to us. Through a truth glimpsed fleetingly in a state of prayer he calls to us.” I agree with Teresa about the ways God calls us, and I’m sure we could add several more ways we hear God’s voice in our everyday lives. Today I heard God calling me twice—once it was through the pain I witnessed which was caused by immature and arrogant actions; another time it was through the compassion I felt for a generous soul with difficult burdens to bear.
For my retreat this week I hope to reflect on the ways God calls to me and I want to pray for the health and well being of all, especially those who need God’s strength and abiding love. If you would like me to include you in my prayers, please let me know…I would be happy to do it!
This week from Thursday night until Saturday afternoon I will be on retreat at the St. Scholastica Monastery. The retreat is part of my coursework for the Shalom Program, and I hope to spend the hours listening to God, asking for help from Jesus, and giving thanks for the Spirit’s abounding grace and peace.
In the sixth dwelling place of The Interior Castle Teresa writes, “God calls to us in countless little ways all the time. Through illnesses and suffering and through sorrow he calls to us. Through a truth glimpsed fleetingly in a state of prayer he calls to us.” I agree with Teresa about the ways God calls us, and I’m sure we could add several more ways we hear God’s voice in our everyday lives. Today I heard God calling me twice—once it was through the pain I witnessed which was caused by immature and arrogant actions; another time it was through the compassion I felt for a generous soul with difficult burdens to bear.
For my retreat this week I hope to reflect on the ways God calls to me and I want to pray for the health and well being of all, especially those who need God’s strength and abiding love. If you would like me to include you in my prayers, please let me know…I would be happy to do it!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 48
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 24-28:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 24-28:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Nothing Can Separate Us From God’s Love
“Fear distorts knowledge of the self. What we should really be afraid of is obsessing over ourselves and never getting free of ourselves! And so I say, my friends, let us set our eyes on Christ, our good, and on his saints.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
It never ceases to amaze me how every week Teresa writes something that connects to my everyday life. This week I’m finding encouragement in her idea to stop thinking about myself and my fears and to think instead about Christ and his saints.
One of my favorite saints is the apostle Paul who was once Saul of Tarsus, the Jewish leader who threatened and tortured followers of Jesus until one day brilliant light surrounded him on the road to Damascus and he heard the risen Christ ask, “Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?” Saul rose from the ground after that experience—blinded but alive—and become an apostle of Christ.
On January 25 the church community remembers the conversation of the apostle Paul. In our Lutheran hymnal there is a prayer for the occasion which begins: “Lord God, through the preaching of your apostle Paul, you established one Church from among the nations.” Paul traveled far and wide to share the Gospel after his conversion, and I appreciate the letters he wrote to people before and after his journeys. Paul’s letter to the Romans is particularly appealing to me, especially the way he holds up the power of God’s love: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Teresa is wise to remind us that we should not let fear get the best of us. Instead, we need to focus on Christ, on Paul and on all the saints, living every single day of our lives in the certainty that nothing—earthquakes, illness, plane accidents, nor anything else we fear—nothing can separate us from God’s love.
It never ceases to amaze me how every week Teresa writes something that connects to my everyday life. This week I’m finding encouragement in her idea to stop thinking about myself and my fears and to think instead about Christ and his saints.
One of my favorite saints is the apostle Paul who was once Saul of Tarsus, the Jewish leader who threatened and tortured followers of Jesus until one day brilliant light surrounded him on the road to Damascus and he heard the risen Christ ask, “Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?” Saul rose from the ground after that experience—blinded but alive—and become an apostle of Christ.
On January 25 the church community remembers the conversation of the apostle Paul. In our Lutheran hymnal there is a prayer for the occasion which begins: “Lord God, through the preaching of your apostle Paul, you established one Church from among the nations.” Paul traveled far and wide to share the Gospel after his conversion, and I appreciate the letters he wrote to people before and after his journeys. Paul’s letter to the Romans is particularly appealing to me, especially the way he holds up the power of God’s love: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Teresa is wise to remind us that we should not let fear get the best of us. Instead, we need to focus on Christ, on Paul and on all the saints, living every single day of our lives in the certainty that nothing—earthquakes, illness, plane accidents, nor anything else we fear—nothing can separate us from God’s love.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 47
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 17-21:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 0
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 17-21:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 0
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
This Holy Courage
“It seems to me that if we were to truly accept our own powerlessness, we would be both truly humble and truly brave. May the Beloved, being who he is, grant us this holy courage.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
Earlier today I was with someone I’ve loved for more than twenty-five years. We were sharing our deepest selves, and there was some crying going on between us over past mistakes and missed opportunities. In The Interior Castle, Teresa writes, “It seems to me that if we were to truly accept our own powerlessness, we would be both truly humble and truly brave. May the Beloved, being who he is, grant us this holy courage.” My dear one and I experienced such courage today as we sat together with tears in our eyes, feeling the full weight of our many limitations in this life while at the same time resting in the healing mercy and love of God. What a blessing!
Earlier today I was with someone I’ve loved for more than twenty-five years. We were sharing our deepest selves, and there was some crying going on between us over past mistakes and missed opportunities. In The Interior Castle, Teresa writes, “It seems to me that if we were to truly accept our own powerlessness, we would be both truly humble and truly brave. May the Beloved, being who he is, grant us this holy courage.” My dear one and I experienced such courage today as we sat together with tears in our eyes, feeling the full weight of our many limitations in this life while at the same time resting in the healing mercy and love of God. What a blessing!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 46
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 10-14:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 10-14:
Monday 1
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 0
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Haiti Remembrance—Love of Your Neighbor
“Oh, friends! I can clearly see how important love of your neighbor is to some of you, and how others of you just don’t seem to care. If only you could understand how vital this virtue is to all of us, you wouldn’t engage in any other study.” Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle (1577)
Yesterday was the first anniversary of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and my church held an all-day vigil in remembrance.
Part of the vigil included ringing bells for 35 seconds at 3:53 p.m. to remember the 300,000 lives lost in Haiti that day. Ben Larson, the son of our pastors, was killed in the earthquake and our congregation mourns his death in a very real way. Besides Ben and all the others who died in the earthquake, yesterday we also were remembering the survivors who included Ben’s wife, Renee, and his dear cousin Jon who were in the church building with Ben at the time of the earthquake and who lived to witness its terrible devastation. As the bells rang in our church, I realized how long 35 seconds is and thought hard about how life was changed—utterly and completely changed—for millions of people between 3:52 and 3:54 that Tuesday afternoon.
In The Interior Castle, Teresa writes wisdom from which we can all benefit: “Oh, friends! I can clearly see how important love of your neighbor is to some of you, and how others of you just don’t seem to care. If only you could understand how vital this virtue is to all of us, you wouldn’t engage in any other study.” Because Ben died in Haiti with the poorest of the poor, he has been united with his neighbors in a very tangible way and our congregation has found the world made smaller by this connection. Love of neighbor—close by and far away—was evident yesterday at our church; and the hands holding the bells, the hands lighting the vigil candles, the hands holding the hymnals were all involved in making the kingdom come on earth.
Yesterday was the first anniversary of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and my church held an all-day vigil in remembrance.
Part of the vigil included ringing bells for 35 seconds at 3:53 p.m. to remember the 300,000 lives lost in Haiti that day. Ben Larson, the son of our pastors, was killed in the earthquake and our congregation mourns his death in a very real way. Besides Ben and all the others who died in the earthquake, yesterday we also were remembering the survivors who included Ben’s wife, Renee, and his dear cousin Jon who were in the church building with Ben at the time of the earthquake and who lived to witness its terrible devastation. As the bells rang in our church, I realized how long 35 seconds is and thought hard about how life was changed—utterly and completely changed—for millions of people between 3:52 and 3:54 that Tuesday afternoon.
In The Interior Castle, Teresa writes wisdom from which we can all benefit: “Oh, friends! I can clearly see how important love of your neighbor is to some of you, and how others of you just don’t seem to care. If only you could understand how vital this virtue is to all of us, you wouldn’t engage in any other study.” Because Ben died in Haiti with the poorest of the poor, he has been united with his neighbors in a very tangible way and our congregation has found the world made smaller by this connection. Love of neighbor—close by and far away—was evident yesterday at our church; and the hands holding the bells, the hands lighting the vigil candles, the hands holding the hymnals were all involved in making the kingdom come on earth.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 45
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 3-7:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of January 3-7:
Monday 1
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 1
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
A Single Moment of Grace
“A single moment of grace is more than enough to pay the soul back for all the trials she could ever endure in this life.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
On Monday morning at about 9:00 a.m. in Room 8251 on the neurological unit at St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth, I was in the presence of the Holy One—it was definitely what Teresa calls “a single moment of grace”—and I am filled with thankfulness because of it.
Shortly after my daughter Rebecca got home after working the 3:00-11:00 p.m. shift at Bethany Crisis Shelter on Sunday night, she woke me up to say that she’d received an email from her best friend, Linnea Johnson, who wrote to say her dad, Don, had been admitted to St. Mary’s that night because he was suffering from a temporary memory loss that doctors diagnosed as most likely “transient global amnesia.”
I got up to check my email then and found more information from Don’s wife, Chris, explaining the situation. On Sunday morning after church, Don and Chris stopped by for a short visit to drink coffee and eat caramel rolls; however, later in the day, Don’s recollection of church and being at our house was hazy at best. She became concerned and took Don to the emergency room in the early evening. He was to be in the hospital overnight for more brain tests and observation on Monday. “Prayers appreciated,” Chris wrote, so I sent an email back, prayed hard for them all and then—knowing that God does not slumber—crawled back into bed and eventually went to sleep.
By Monday morning at 8:30, I was at the hospital to check on Don and Chris. Our friend Dave Rogotzke was already there, and the three were in the middle of a good conversation. Don was looking and feeling good. Soon after I arrived, Don’s family practice doctor came for an informal check-in, and then a short time after the doctor left the Holy One showed up. Dave was talking when it happened, and I’m not sure how to explain it. There was just a change in the room—“a single moment of grace”—something noticeable to all. The Spirit of God quietly entered the room, joining us very peacefully and blessing the conversation with love, laughter and tenderness. Soon Dave and I were on our way, but before we left the room, the four of us held hands, circling Don in the bed, and said a prayer together.
By 4:15 p.m. on Monday, Don was home. All the tests were normal and indicated the initial diagnosis was correct. “Transient global amnesia” is a rare medical condition, something the doctors call “idiopathic,” which is another way to say “we see this, but we cannot explain it.”
The doctors cannot explain what happened to Don on Sunday morning any better than I can explain what happened to Don, Chris, Dave and me on Monday morning. Life is full of wonder and mystery—many things are beyond our knowing, never to be explained. In the midst of all the uncertainty, we can rely this: God loves us and is always with us; God never sleeps and spends lots of time in hospital rooms. And for that, especially today, I am truly thankful.
On Monday morning at about 9:00 a.m. in Room 8251 on the neurological unit at St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth, I was in the presence of the Holy One—it was definitely what Teresa calls “a single moment of grace”—and I am filled with thankfulness because of it.
Shortly after my daughter Rebecca got home after working the 3:00-11:00 p.m. shift at Bethany Crisis Shelter on Sunday night, she woke me up to say that she’d received an email from her best friend, Linnea Johnson, who wrote to say her dad, Don, had been admitted to St. Mary’s that night because he was suffering from a temporary memory loss that doctors diagnosed as most likely “transient global amnesia.”
I got up to check my email then and found more information from Don’s wife, Chris, explaining the situation. On Sunday morning after church, Don and Chris stopped by for a short visit to drink coffee and eat caramel rolls; however, later in the day, Don’s recollection of church and being at our house was hazy at best. She became concerned and took Don to the emergency room in the early evening. He was to be in the hospital overnight for more brain tests and observation on Monday. “Prayers appreciated,” Chris wrote, so I sent an email back, prayed hard for them all and then—knowing that God does not slumber—crawled back into bed and eventually went to sleep.
By Monday morning at 8:30, I was at the hospital to check on Don and Chris. Our friend Dave Rogotzke was already there, and the three were in the middle of a good conversation. Don was looking and feeling good. Soon after I arrived, Don’s family practice doctor came for an informal check-in, and then a short time after the doctor left the Holy One showed up. Dave was talking when it happened, and I’m not sure how to explain it. There was just a change in the room—“a single moment of grace”—something noticeable to all. The Spirit of God quietly entered the room, joining us very peacefully and blessing the conversation with love, laughter and tenderness. Soon Dave and I were on our way, but before we left the room, the four of us held hands, circling Don in the bed, and said a prayer together.
By 4:15 p.m. on Monday, Don was home. All the tests were normal and indicated the initial diagnosis was correct. “Transient global amnesia” is a rare medical condition, something the doctors call “idiopathic,” which is another way to say “we see this, but we cannot explain it.”
The doctors cannot explain what happened to Don on Sunday morning any better than I can explain what happened to Don, Chris, Dave and me on Monday morning. Life is full of wonder and mystery—many things are beyond our knowing, never to be explained. In the midst of all the uncertainty, we can rely this: God loves us and is always with us; God never sleeps and spends lots of time in hospital rooms. And for that, especially today, I am truly thankful.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Friday Prayer Report 44
"Whenever God gives a person the grace and courage to strive for this blessing with all her heart and soul, he is bestowing the greatest mercy. God does not deny himself to anyone who perseveres. Little by little, he increases her courage, ensuring that she will reach her goal." Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of December 27-31:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
Here is my "little by little" Friday prayer report for the week of December 27-31:
Monday 0
Tuesday 0
Wednesday 1
Thursday 1
Friday 0
Grace and courage to you and to me!
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