Today's First Reading

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."

He has 'qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit' (not of legalism but of grace). The Spirit gives life.

Praise God for His constant prodding and feeding of our spirits...leading us further and further along. The Lord is indeed putting a new ministry in my heart as I discern Godly goals for my life...if there is anyone reading this, if you could pray for His will to be done...and for me to be able to respond accordingly.

Blog Roll

Hi there. If you are currently reading the Thin Within book and blogging about it, would you leave a comment with the name of your blog so that I can add it to my side bar?

Rescue

There is hope!

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

Oh my...talk about being convicted. Praise You Lord for loving me too much to allow me to remain where I'm at...for showing me the Light of Truth.

YouTube - As The Deer

USCCB - NAB - Psalm 99

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."

"Exalt the LORD, our God; bow down before his footstool; holy is God!

Day 4: A Path of My Choosing

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

One of the most memorable homilies that I've ever heard was at St. Colman's in Brockton over a decade ago. This was pre kids, so it was just me, my husband and our cousins and best friends, Joe and Grace. The four of us would bring it up in conversation long after the event...giving each other silly quizes on it like 'what was the cat's name' lol. Even though I no longer remember who preached it...I do remember the subject. 'Basking in God's presence'...the preacher told us of his cat 'Rinquist' and how at every turn he'd find the cat just lying around in his driveway just basking in the sun'. That cat didn't have to work very hard to be in the sun...he just needed to find the right spot and enjoy it. Same with us in the Son's presence.

For today Lord, may I be able to climb on Your lap and just soak in Your presence...even the midst of my daily chores and routines.

By the way my cousin/friend Joe is now basking in God's full presence in heaven. For the rest of us, we'll just have to settle for a little taste of it.

Burning Bush Conversations

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?"

Waiting...

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. "

Perhaps the biggest lesson that I'm learning right now is to wait on the Lord.

Beyond Measure

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!"

Well...when I asked the Lord for a new name for this blog and felt Him leading me to 'Loved Beyond Measure'...I didn't realize the full impact of what He was asking me. WOW. I'm taking Heidi's challenge and am going to be putting away the scale until the end of this study. This is a little bit out of my comfort zone...time to fly in His arms!

YouTube - Leona Lewis - Footprints In The Sand Lyrics

I was reminded just now of what the Lord showed me a while back...how it doesn't always 'feel good' to be carried...especially if we preffer to have our feet planted on solid ground. So...it is altogether possible that instead of enjoying being carried high in the Lord's arms, we find ourselves struggling to get back down. So sad when we look at it that way. For today Lord, remind me that when things aren't going exactly as I expected them to and I start to feel off kilter...remind me that I'm being held in Your loving arms and I just need to relax and enjoy it.

YouTube - Shine Jesus Shine

Watching the High Lights

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)."

Today's Gospel Reading

USCCB - (NAB) - June 9, 2009: "Gospel
Mt 5:13-16

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

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

Day 3: Going For Godly Goals

"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."

I'm a great fan of the book 'A Mother's Rule of Life' by Holly Pierlot...it has changed my life. It is an awesome tool to help with setting Godly goals. It shows us the five areas that need to be addressed...Holly calls them the 5 'Ps'. P1= Prayer, P2=Person, P3=Partner, P4=Parenting, P5= Provider. I have prayerfully and with the direction of the Lord set up my own 'rule'by examining each area of my life and seeing what needs to be done on a practical level to maintain it...it is so freeing to see it all in black and white and not have to re-invent the wheel each day on what needs to be done around here. While I'm 'waiting on the Lord'...instead of focusing on my stomach or being tossed everywhere by my ADD tendencies, I instead set out with the grace of God to just do the next thing on my 'rule' aka to-do list. I thereby live in the moment and that is where the Lord meets me...in my regular day to day activities...washing the dishes now becomes a wonderful dialogue with the Lord.

He Chose Me to Be

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.

Week 2 Assignment! Keep Focused! :-)

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!"

Our challenges will fade because He will provide for our needs. He will either remove the challenges completly, or He will provide us with enough grace to endure it...either way it is a win-win situation. So...why don't we (I) utilize this font of grace more often? I want to bring it ALL to Him...nothing is too big or too small for my Heavenly Father. I can tell right away when I begin to lose focus...my anxiety goes sky high, a bunch of things just seem to go way out of control and get to overwhelming proportions. This was never God's intent for my life.

There is a misconception by some that God created us and then left us alone to fend for ourselves. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

YouTube - DON MOEN - Creator King

He loves ME...

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

YouTube - Don Moen - Rescue