USCCB - (NAB) - June 30, 2009:
"As soon as they had been brought outside, he was told:
'Flee for your life!
Don't look back or stop anywhere on the Plain.
Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away.'"
USCCB - NAB - Psalm 34
I will bless the LORD at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth.
3
My soul will glory in the LORD that the poor may hear and be glad.
4
Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
5
I sought the LORD, who answered me, delivered me from all my fears.
6
Look to God that you may be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush for shame.
7
In my misfortune I called, the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
8
The angel of the LORD, who encamps with them, delivers all who fear God.
9
Learn to savor how good the LORD is; happy are those who take refuge in him.
10
Fear the LORD, you holy ones; nothing is lacking to those who fear him.
11
3 The powerful grow poor and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
USCCB - (NAB) - June 28, 2009:
"There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, 'If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.'
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction."
USCCB - (NAB) - June 27, 2009:
"Jesus entered the house of Peter,
and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
He touched her hand, the fever left her,
and she rose and waited on him."
USCCB - (NAB) - June 26, 2009:
"Reading 1
Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him
and said: 'I am God the Almighty.
Walk in my presence and be blameless.'"
"Nothing is beyond the reach of His restoration project. Even ancient and devestated ruins can be rebuilt. As you surrender to the Master Builder you will be His apprentice repairer and restorer."
TW p66
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you wiht my righteous hand. (Isaiah 41:10)"
USCCB - (NAB) - June 25, 2009:
"Gospel
Mt 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples:
'Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'"
Sitting Tight : A Catholic Reflection: "'Go back...and submit.' –Genesis 16:9
God told Abram: 'Don't just do something, sit there.' God did not need Abram to have a son by Sarai's maid to help God fulfill His promises (see Gn 15:4). Then Sarai's maid, Hagar, tried to help God protect her by fleeing into the wilderness. God told her to go back and stay put (Gn 16:9). Sometimes the best thing we can do is nothing. For example, the Lord told Moses that He would fight for the Israelites against the Egyptians. Moses had 'only to keep still' (Ex 14:14). Isaiah prophesied: 'By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies' (Is 30:15)."
"Perfection is founded entirely on the love of God: “Charity is the bond of perfection22 Col. 3:14.;” and perfect love of God means the complete union of our will with God’s: “The principal effect of love is so to unite the wills of those who love each other as to make them will the same things33 St. Denis Areop. De Div. Nom. c. 4..” It follows then, that the more one unites his will with the divine will, the greater will be his love of God. Mortification, meditation, receiving Holy Communion, acts of fraternal charity are all certainly pleasing to God—but only when they are in accordance with his will. When they do not accord with God’s will, he not only finds no pleasure in them, but he even rejects them utterly and punishes them.
To illustrate:—A man has two servants. One works unremittingly all day long— but according to his own devices; the other, conceivably, works less, but he does do what he is told. This latter of course is going to find favor in the eyes of his master; the other will not. Now, in applying this example, we may ask: Why should we perform actions for God’s glory if they are not going to be acceptable to him? God does not want sacrifices, the prophet Samuel told King Saul, but he does want obedience to his will: “Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices; and to hearken, rather than to offer the fat of rams. Because it is like the sin of witchcraft to rebel; and like the crime of idolatry to refuse to obey44 1 Kings, 15:22, 23..” Theman who follows his own will independently of God’s, is guilty of a kind of idolatry. Instead of adoring God’s will, he, in a certain sense, adores his own."
4. It is especially necessary that we be resigned in corporal infirmities. We should willingly embrace them in the manner and for the length of time that God wills. We ought to make use of the ordinary remedies in time of sickness— such is God’s will; but if they are not effective, let us unite ourselves to God’s will and this will be better for us than would be our restoration to health. Let us say: “Lord, I wish neither to be well nor to remain sick; I want only what thou wilt.” Certainly, it is more virtuous not to repine in times of painful illness; still and all, when our sufferings are excessive, it is not wrong to let our friends know what we are enduring, and also to ask God to free us from our sufferings. Let it be understood, however, that the sufferings here referred to are actually excessive. It often happens that some, on the occasion of a slight illness, or even a slight indisposition, want the whole world to stand still and sympathize with them in their illnesses.
USCCB - NAB - Psalm 139:
"You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb.
14
I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works!"
"He wants so much for you to experience the fullness of His plan by aligning your goals and vision with His plans for you."
--TW p66
A Different Road
I’ve traveled long
I’ve traveled hard
And stumbled many times along the way
I’ve bruised my knees a lot
And turned my back on God
And seen His mercy
I’ve been quick to judge
And slow to learn
So many times I’ve gotten in the way
I think I know so much
I’ve questioned God enough
But still He loves me
So now I’ll walk a different road
I want to see Him there before I even go
I’ve run ahead and gone too slow
I’ve got to be still now
Wait upon His will now
This time,
It’s gonna be His time
Don’t want to live without
The peace that comes to me
When I am by His side
I’ve known the freedom there
Can’t find it anywhere
But in Christ Jesus
I believe He’s got a plan
Everything in His time
I may not always understand
Everything in His time
Everything in His time
by K. Troccoli, B. Sudano, N. DiGesare
USCCB - (NAB) - June 23, 2009:
"'Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.'"
"The person on the path of God's provision, as we have seen, may experience a 'two steps foward and one back' movement, but the direction is set. This person moves forward confident of God's love and acceptance through the cross of Christ. His or her life doesn't reflect an 'on again-off again' experience, as the cross of Christ is a stabilizing force. His confidence is not in his own flesh, but in God's blessed provision. This person learns from her steps backward through observation and correction. No 'failure' is beyond God's ability to redeem or His desire to make good. This person isn't perfect by any means, but he or she moves forward trusting in God even after experiencing a setback."
USCCB - (NAB) - June 22, 2009:
"Reading 1
Gn 12:1-9
The LORD said to Abram:
'Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.
'I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.'"
USCCB - (NAB) - June 21, 2009
"He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!"
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?""
USCCB - (NAB) - June 20, 2009:
"Therefore, that I might not become too elated,
a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan,
to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.
Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me,
but he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness.'
I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,
in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me."
Mark Mallett » Blog Archive » Knowing Christ
Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. (Rom 12:3)
We have to use our minds, to be thinking consciously as we move through the day how we can respond in the present moment the way Jesus would. We have to be mindful of when we are wasting time; of when our conversations become idle jibber-jabber; of when we are being pulled away from the duty of the moment by the glitz of Twitters, Texts, and whatever is next. At those times, we need to consciously pull ourselves back into God’s presence, into a silent dialogue with the Spirit, seeking how we can better serve God in that moment… how self-love can give way to Divine Love (and remember St. Paul’s definition of what love is (see 1 Cor 13:1-8)).
USCCB - (NAB) - June 19, 2009:
"For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Father's Day : A Catholic Reflection:
"When Satan tempts us, he questions whether we are sons and daughters of God the Father (Mt 4:3, 6). Prayer is primarily expressing and deepening our relationship with our Father through the Son and in the Spirit. Prayer is a preoccupation with our Father's name, kingdom, and will (Mt 6:9-10). Prayer is an experience of our Father as Provider, Forgiver, and Protector (Mt 6:11-13)."
USCCB - (NAB) - June 18, 2009
Gospel
Mt 6:7-15
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."
Weigh In Info:
"My Weigh in Report
You lost 3.5 lb (2.4 %) since you last weighed in on Monday, 01 Jun 09.
At that rate it will take you about 4 months to get to your goal weight."
God Is Doing a New Thing: Chapter 5 Part 1 - True Confessions About Being "Reconciled" To My Body: "I have been putting off facing into this chapter, I think. I read the pages up to the place where the Mirror, Mirror Exercise begins. Funny how I did that...It is dated 4 days ago...haven't touched the book since."
USCCB - (NAB) - June 17, 2009:
"Reading 1
2 Cor 9:6-11
Brothers and sisters, consider this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work."
Intercessors of the Lamb - 04-20-09 Desert Spirituality
"In the desert, in the times of waiting, of searching, fortitude, a gift of the Holy Spirit, works so powerfully within us because it gives us the power to change. It gives us the strength to allow God to change us. The Spirit is always saying, "That was okay then, but now I want you to do this or be this. Things have changed. Let this go. Let's do this.” There is always change. We are continuously in a growth process. And it takes courage to change. There will be tests; there will be dry times in prayer. There will be aridity. There will be real desert times. That takes courage. This is when we call on this gift of fortitude. This is when we find the Holy Spirit coming to us with this gift, as if to say, "Hang in there! Hang in there." Even the psalmist used to say, "Oh, Lord, how long? How long do I have to endure this?" Through fortitude, the Spirit tells us, “It is just a little while longer, just a little while. We are almost there." He knows how to give us hope, doesn't He? He knows how to keep us going. This is how the gift of fortitude works. We can persevere. We can stay faithful."
USCCB - (NAB) - June 16, 2009:
"We want you to know, brothers and sisters, of the grace of God
that has been given to the churches of Macedonia,
for in a severe test of affliction,
the abundance of their joy and their profound poverty
overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
For according to their means, I can testify,
and beyond their means, spontaneously,
they begged us insistently for the favor of taking part
in the service to the holy ones,
and this, not as we expected,
but they gave themselves first to the Lord
and to us through the will of God,"
USCCB - (NAB) - June 15, 2009:
"We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things."
Blood-Covenant and Communion : A Catholic Reflection:
"When we receive Holy Communion, we are covenanting to pour out our lives in total love for the Lord, to repent of our sins, be washed in His blood (see Rv 7:14), and to obey the Lord in every detail of our lives. Make a blood-covenant in Holy Communion today on this feast of Corpus Christi."
USCCB - (NAB) - June 14, 2009:
"While they were eating,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
'Take it; this is my body.'"
Intercessors of the Lamb - Teachings:
"The more light that comes into our souls, the more we are going to see the specks and dirt and dust. It is a beautiful process because it is initiated by the Holy Spirit. He is light. He wants to give us light. He doesn't want us to be in the dark. We are His children. He does not want us to stumble and fall. Everything about the world is darkness. Everything about God's Kingdom is light and He wants us to have this light.
In order to receive this light we have to have some time alone with Him. Solitude is where God dwells. Solitude is not a means to God like silence is. Silence is like an atmosphere--a climate. But solitude is a dwelling place of God. And that is very important."
USCCB - (NAB) - June 13, 2009:
"So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come."
USCCB - (NAB) - June 12, 2009: "Responsorial Psalm
Ps 116:10-11, 15-16, 17-18
R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
I believed, even when I said,
'I am greatly afflicted';
I said in my alarm,
'No man is dependable.'
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise."
God Is Doing a New Thing: Chapter 4 - A Path of My Choosing Part 2:
"Keep praising Him for His attributes, his provision, His grace, His love...any thoughts of self, trade them, replace them with thoughts of 'Oh, God! How GREAT you are!' 'I need YOU so much!' 'Thank you for all YOU do and are!' 'Thank you that YOU are bread for my hungry heart!'"
Holy Experience: Attend to Your Life and You Make it Art: "Maybe it's just me who is still learning that it's not perfection that makes one's life a work of art. It's how one sees. It's taking me a lifetime to wrap the corners of my heart around it: beauty isn't a product to be be found in the material world. It's a function of the way the eye and soul work together."
"But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18)
You are a work in progress. In fact, the Lord calls you His poetry. You are His poetry in motion, His masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10) ---Thin Within p48
USCCB - (NAB) - June 12, 2009:
"Reading 1
2 Cor 4:7-15
Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,'
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God."
Here is how this principle works. At any given point in time, you can choose to note any behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes that haven't worked for you'. --Thin Within p 36
When you walk the path of God's provision, your focus is on God. You will experience the way in which He inspires, enables, and empowers you every step of the way. It is a path on which we are being progressively conformed to the image of Christ. We rest in the fact that God knows we are flawed, and we praise Him that He has provided the solution for our problem. He loves us so much and wants absolute intimacy with us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).--Thin Within p38
USCCB - NAB - Psalm 98:
"Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; break into song; sing praise.
5
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song.
6
With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy to the King, the LORD.
7
Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell there.
8
Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy,
9
Before the LORD who comes, who comes to govern the earth, To govern the world with justice and the peoples with fairness."
"But we have this treasure (the presence of God)in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Corinthians 4:7)
The jar of clay referred to in this pasage is you. It is your body and your soul (mind, emotions, will, and feelings). We are vessels, containers of the life of God. But we are not the contents of the vessel. God is. We cannot produce His life, but we can reflect it. The beauty and value of the vessel is found in what it contains. We continue to be transformed more and more as we look to God rather then ourselves."--Thin Within p48
USCCB - (NAB) - June 10, 2009:
"Reading 1
2 Cor 3:4-11
Brothers and sisters:
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit
for anything as coming from us;
rather, our qualification comes from God,
who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant,
not of letter but of spirit;
for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life."
This pendulum-swinging lifestyle is reflected in what we call the 'path of my performace'. Living this way is falling into the trap of the legalist.
In this situation self is actually the focus rather than God. Even if the person is a believer, he or she will think that the solution to any failure is to 'try harder'. This struggler is always searching for the next book, the next program, the next church service, to find the 'key' to success. What is missing of course, is the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit enabling us to 'observe and correct'.
The truth is, grace isn't missing at all. It just hasn't been fully embraced. Those who find themselves in this predicament are like thirsty travelers who are unaware of a nearby fountain of life-giving water. The legalist swings from feeling good about her accomplishments on the one hand, to realizing that she can't keep up the pace on the other hand. Eventually she just gives up altogether, seeing herself as a 'failure'. Self-loathing sets in and she wallows in guilt, self-condemnation, self-pity, and sin. Before long, she goes out in search of another diet, another regimen, another set of rules.
Thankfully there is an antidote to this pendulum pandemonium. There is hope! There is no reason to stay stuck. Our God is willing and He is able. If you find yourself on the path of your performance, you can jump ship into an ocean of grace, deeper than any sin, broader than any transgression. It is cool, refreshing, and free. It cost our Savior everything, but in His love He offers it freely to us. --Thin Within p40-41
USCCB - NAB - Psalm 99:
"Exalt the LORD, our God; bow down before his footstool; holy is God!
6
Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel among those who called on God's name; they called on the LORD, who answered them.
7
From the pillar of cloud God spoke to them; they kept the decrees, the law they received.
8
O LORD, our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God, though you punished their offenses.
9
Exalt the LORD, our God; bow down before his holy mountain; holy is the LORD, our God."
No food can even begin to compare with the satisfaction that comes from basking in His presence. No drink can quench the thirst of the soul crying out for the Lord. --Thin Within p36
Holy Experience: Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline: <br>Burning Bush Conversations:
"God, hear me saying....
.... heart beat ....
I am dry and brittle and
ready to snap
God, I hear You saying...
.... heart beat ....
How else to be kindling for
a burning bush?"
Mark Mallett » Blog Archive » High Seas:
"Even Jesus Himself had to wait for His mission, growing in humility, wisdom, and knowledge.
But we want holiness now. Along with our food, videos, success, text messages, and nearly every other form of communication and gratification. As a result, we have slowly un-learned how to wait—'how to grow and become strong.' Instant gratification is one of Satan’s special weapons, for in bringing it to our times, he has made waiting and suffering almost unbearable, even to the modern Christian. "
God Is Doing a New Thing: Chapter 3 - Going For Godly Goals - Part 1:
"PLEASE DO NOT USE THE BATHROOM SCALE AT ALL!!! I know this is radical, but you know how I have been singing the song 'Focus on the Lord Focus on the Lord?' The scale is THE BEST WAY TO STOP FOCUSING on the LORD and to focus on yourself and your supposed performance! PLEASE DON'T GO THERE! You and I both have done that before and has it served us well? NO!"
Watching the High Lights : A Catholic Reflection:
"We have put ourselves in a position where we desperately need the Holy Spirit day by day, moment by moment, to keep us 'set aflame and burning bright' (Jn 5:35). Satan will tempt us to take a 'breather' by stepping out of the hot lights into the darkness (see Jn 3:19); however, stepping away from Jesus is the devil's trap. We must continually come to Jesus (Mt 11:28), and never move away from Him. Jesus will always give us light (Eph 5:14).
We must fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb 3:1), the Light of the World (Jn 8:12). 'Walk in light, as He is in the light' (1 Jn 1:7)."
God created us for His glory. He wants our lives to reflect His joy, love, grace and compassion so that people will recognize Him in our countenance. The Bible calls this 'glorifying God'. You might say that we become advertisements for how wonderful God is when our lives display His majesty and wonder to the world." Thin Within p.27
"As you listen and draw closer, you will hear God speak specifically to you about His plans for you--plans for a hope and a good future. And as you continue your journey, you will want your own visions, plans and goals to line up with His. Our sincere desire is for you to experience the freedom for which you were created and to catch the vision that God has for your life. Today we will focus on the purpose of life and the blessing of adopting Godly goals."
He Chose Me to Be by Mother Angelica
"Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you since you received Him from God. You are not your own property; you have been bought and paid for. That is why you should use your body for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 6:19) We have a tendency to think our body is our own and we can do as we please with it. But this is not so. We were created by God—created as weak human beings—part animal, part spiritual. Our dignity as human beings was degraded by pride and rebellion in the beginning by our first parents Adam and Eve and then by our own wrong choices. God's love for us devised a way to raise us above our degradation—above our own nature, and set us apart as beings He could rightfully call "sons." He sent His own Son to take our flesh upon Himself—live and die as one of us and then rise from the dead so we would be delivered from our slavery to sin. What a price was paid for one so fragile in nature, so vacillating in will, so prone to evil. The Great King looks for a peasant to raise up to the dignity of a Prince. Each one of us is a kind of Cinderella, who is beckoned by the King to live a new life. The choice is ours, but the prize is His—He has already a right to everything we are, everything we possess. He has only good to give us. Why do we so often prefer what harms us? Is the right to choose good and evil more precious to us than peace, happiness and joy? Would we rather be miserable and misuse our freedom to choose rather than be humble and admit God Knows what is best for us? What price He paid to save us and what price we pay when we do our own will? No, we do not have a right to do as we please with our life or anyone else's. Our life belongs to God and that God is powerful enough to maintain it, good enough to sustain it and provident enough to care for all its needs.
God Is Doing a New Thing: Week 2 Assignment! Keep Focused! :-): "If we develop an ability to focus on Him, praise Him, pray to Him, we will find that those things that lure us to food when we aren't physically hungry will fade! Honestly! Not only that, but a lot of other challenges in our lives will fall into their rightful place. It is the 'Seek first His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well' principle again!"
His is an active love that has motivated all that He has done since the beginning of time. When He paints the evening sunset, it is because He loves you. When a child embraces you, it is because He loves you. When the birds sing, the sun rises, the flowers waft a heavenly scent, it is all because He loves you.
He was inspired to initiate relationships with human beings from the beginning of creation because it is in His character to love. He woos you and draws you, placing in you a desire to draw near to Him. That desire is kindled by His love for you. His word reminds us that we love Him only because He first loved us. ---Thin Within p18
He desires you to know Him--to be in relationship with Him, and to be absolutely authentic before Him.
Abbey-Roads: Deus caritas est.: "Who can separate us from the Love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus! And so it is that between them there is but a single life, a single love ... The Love between the Father and the Son... The Holy Spirit."
Holy Experience: Soul ADD: "Lord, when I pay attention to everyday graces...
I'm spending my life in God-worship. Could there be a better investment?
Cause me today to pay attention to Your gifts.... a cure for Soul ADD."
God Is Doing a New Thing: "Waiting for the Lord will never leave us wanting. He WILL meet us. He WILL satisfy. This is where the wording of things is a bit awkward...If we wait for hunger, our focus is on our body, ourselves. But waiting on the Lord, our focus is on HIM. He will then say, 'Guess what, dear one? Your body needs fuel now. Come and dine with Me!' Isn't that a glorious thought? :-) No guilt, no condemnation, no self-focus. Then our meal time can be a time of praise and worship... 'Lord, thank you for the amazing flavor and texture in this food. You are so creative! Thank you for the abundance. Thank you for supplying my needs. You are an awesome Provider! Thank you for my body that YOU have created--fearfully and wonderfully!'"
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"For those who have diabetes, it is always best to talk with a doctor, but the Hallidays know many people with diabetes who have done really well with this approach. Typically, you don't want to wait long after the first signal of hunger. Don't wait for a growl. That is NOT a sign of hunger for most people and can cause you to really crash if you wait for that...or to eat too soon! Either way, a growl isn't reliable. Then, what you eat is vital. If you know that there are foods that make you feel good physically, then ask God to help you to have those on hand for when you are hungry. It doesn't take much to fend off a true blood sugar crash...it is just the right something that the Lord will lead you for your body."
God Is Doing a New Thing: "I challenge you to begin to wait for physical hunger before you eat. (Yes, I know some may take issue with this phraseology, but I think it fits for people just starting out or others of us who 'pre-empt' hunger by eating for a variety of *other* reasons!). Note when you are drawn to eat and *aren't* hungry and ask God to show you if you are not hungry, what it is that is making you think about food--why are you drawn? Food only satisfies physical hunger. All other 'needs' or wants require something else to be satisfied.
What do you learn about yourself and about God as you wait for physical hunger before eating?"
God Is Doing a New Thing: "I felt God impress upon my heart that maybe someone here can use the encouragement found in some of the words that were a part of the prayer at the end of the chapter...
Lord, You are the only answer to the emptiness I feel when I am not with You. The fullness of Your being is what I crave. The intimacy of Your embrace is what I long for...Help me to make You the first place I run to when I have longings in my heart. I don't want to waste time turning to other things that will never satisfy the need I have for intimacy with You. My soul waits for you, Lord. (Psalm 33:20) Amen."
"You see, when I am vulnerable, I am prone to being "needy"--to feeling empty. This is when I can start reaching for anything to fill the emptiness...
As you and I continue the early part of this sojourn we want to ask God to make each of us--I want to ask Him to make ME--to be aware when I am doing this before it happens. This is the crux of much of our disordered behavior and disordered eating. It really isn't about the food, the computer, the books, the busy-ness. It is about my heart, about your heart...and, mostly, about GOD."
"God wants our hearts to belong to him (not to some 'skinny' ideal or even to some vision of 'health and wholeness!'). As we relinquish our hearts to him, we WILL change from the inside out."
2.) Are you willing to foster an awareness of Jesus' presence in every moment of your life? You can do this in your heart even in the midst of a hustle bustle work schedule or being with your kids or running errands or whatever you do. Truthfully, there is no way to experience the kind of lasting, deep, penetrating transformation that we really need apart from developing an awareness of his constant care and presence with you. Truly, this can be quite simple, but it is NOT easy!
