Winter's Chill

The cold of winter is upon us and with it comes bonechilling wind that cuts right through a person, exposing vunerabilities.

Thank you, Lord for the cold and the chill and I praise you for them as well. The responsorial today is from the book of Daniel, as well as the first reading. But it is the responsorial that speaks of praising God for all things.

Today, too, I received an email telling me to be thankful for the thorns in my life. I feel as if I have been all of the above recently. That my very soul has been exposed to the chill of winter's wind and that I have had thorns for which I have not been thankful. But, then I read of people's troubles and know that I have not had a difficult time in comparison to theirs and wonder why I am such a griper latey? Where has the joy in my life gone? I used to be joyful and thankful for all things but have not felt joy for a long time, it seems.

Still, I do recognize that I have much to be thankful for...even the bonechilling winds of winter and I thank you and praise you, Lord for all your blessings.

Today's Saint is St. Saturnius of Toulouse, a bishop around 250 who was martyred when he refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The pagans then had him tied to a bull who drug him to his death. His name is of Latin origin and means "melancholy of character." Earlier today when I first read about St. Saturnius, I did not realize how much the meaning of his name fits my mood lately. So I also ask for him to intercede for me that I might not be melancholy.

My Sweet Child--

Give me tonight all the failures of this day and let me relieve you of that burden. You know that you have not done all I command of you and all that you have been striving to do, yet I say to you, do not fear. Start again tomorrow. As you go to your rest this night, let go of all that burdens you and allow my sweet peace to sink deep into your soul, warming the winter chill that lurks there.

You are precious and beautiful to me. Never doubt this, but you must do more of what I command you. You have told me I am your King. Then do my bidding. Yes, we are friends, too, but I also am your Lord and Master. I forgive you of your failure to obey me. When you have learnt obedience more perfectly, you will be ready for the next task I have in mind for you. But you must learn perfect obedience to be ready for it. Will you accept this command and do as your Lord and King commands?

My Lord--

Yes, I will try to do better at obeying instantly when you command. Help me to hear you better so that I might do your will immediately. Thank you for your forgiveness and strengthen me with your love, wisdom and courage to do all you desire of me. I am yours.

You delight me child. Go in peace for I am with you and love you.

St. Virgil of Salzburg

I am feeling such a wondrous sense of joy and for that I thank you My King. How wonderful you are to me.

I have been such a whiner lately and I am so sorry for that. Please forgive me and give me the grace to continue to pray for those with whom I find myself in conflict.

You are a wonderful and caring Lord and King and I owe my life and everything I have to you.

I thank you for all the many blessings you have poured out onto me. Help me to make the best of them.

Today's St. is St. Virgil of Salzburg--a Bishop there in the late 700's. He was an Irish immigrant to that area and was known for his help of the poor and also his educating of people. Thank you for giving us the angels and saints as friends for the journey.

As we head into this last week before Advent, Lord, what would you like me to give you? I have so stressed about gifts in the past and still do as you know by my current dilemma. But this Advent, I would like to focus more on you and what you would have me do?

Always in the past, I have failed to do what I felt you were calling me to do--just failed to do what I said I would and I beg your forgiveness for those failures. Please help me to honor my vow to do what I feel you want me, too.

What would you like as an Advent sacrifice this year, my Lord?

Hello my sweet child--

You are precious and lovely to me when you are joyous and thankful. I most of all want just that--a joyous and thankful heart and mind. You have been much blessed and I desire you to acknowledge those blessings. It so distresses me when you are unhappy and sad, even if you have cause to be. Try this year to find cause for thankfulness in every happening, no matter how painful or distressing it is to you. Immediately give me thanks and praise and see what happens. You will be delighted by the result of such a "sacrifice," if that is what it can be called. So often people want to hug their grievances close to their heart, nursing them and feeding them and keeping them alive. Thanks and praise for the difficult times is more of a cure than cuddling these painful moments in your heart and feeling sorry for yourself and anxious about things. So, that is the sacrifice I want from you this year, my child. Try to be thankful and praise me in all circumstances and events of your life. Rest in peace. Know that I love you and want the best for you.

Christ the King

Today during Mass, I had the most wonderful experience of Your love, Lord. As you know, I have recently been suffering from conflicts I am experiencing with co-workers.

This past week was awful for me as I struggled with hurts and disappointments.

Before Mass today I was again stressing over--get this--a slight I think is going to happen!!! Not something that has happened but something that I think is going to happen. How pathetic is that??

Anyway, I felt called to dress up to attend Mass today and I am so glad I did. When I got there I was asked to help by being a Eucharisitic Minister. Even though I try to stay focused on You, I sometimes let my mind wander and it again wandered to this supposed slight that may happen. Even though I have been a loyal and true friend I am not going to be invited (or so I assume) to a birthday party for someone I have always considered important in my life. I was fretting over this and also listening to the homily on Christ the King when You, my Lord and King, gently let me know that You had selected me for the honor of serving You on this feast . It was an awesome moment for me.

It took the sting out of the rejection I feel over this, Lord and I thank you for the honor. You are so wonderful to me and I am humbled by this, but overjoyed as well. I may very well end up being rejected by people I care about, but You have honored me with Your love and it is amazing. Thank you my God and King.

After Mass, I went for a hike and took these amazing photos of Your creation, Lord. It is stunningly beautiful and You have allowed me to live in this wonderful area and experience such beauty. Thank you, my Lord and God. You are so good to me. How can I repay You for all Your favors and goodness to me?

My beautiful child-

I barely whispered to you that you had been chosen for the honor and you heard me. You are listening to me and that pleases me.

As we walked this day, you knew I was with you. This is the portion of my Kingdom I have chosen for you. This is the part of my Kingdom where I want and need you to be.

Yes, I must sometimes allow my children to suffer and be rejected--as was I. You will suffer rejection when you are not invited to this party. Be not angry or bitter about it for you are beautiful. Anger and bitterness tarnish that which I so love about you, your kind and sweet heart. The heart you have told me is my throne in your life. Rejoice when you suffer rejection in this life for it marks you as one of my own. My beautiful child, let my peace and love soothe away the pain of rejection. Do not be afraid and leave the justice to me. Do you trust me in this as in all things? Trust and be not afraid for I am Your King and I love and cherish you. Believe that and rejoice!

Yes, Lord, I do trust you and I do believe that all things work for good to those who love the Lord. Help me to be more disciplined in my writing, Lord and thank you for the blessing of Sheetal.

Matters of Friendship

Lord--
I am so angry with my co-workers for a slight--whether real or imagined--that I cannot bear to look at either one of them.
For some time it has seemed that they whisper things that they don't want me to hear. I am not sure if these things being whispered are about me or not, but I have caught them several times and I know they have been talking about me.
Today's slight is nothing really, except that it just really made me angry. If they had spoken something about it, it would have been different, but they just assumed something that wasn't right and have hurt me very badly in the process.
The sad part of this is that one of them used to be a really good friend, but he has since allied himself with the other co-worker instead of me. I am not sure why but I am hurt and angered by this.
I don't know what to do about it. Please help me. I ask you to bless both of them and guide me in what you would like me to do.
I ask forgiveness for wanting you to strike them stupid or anything. Sorry. But I was just so angry at the time.
I love you. Please help me with this.

Sweet one--
Be not afraid of what they may say about you or do to you. Remember that nothing happens that is not in accord with my will for you. Anything they do to you is for your ultimate benefit, even if you may not see it at the time.
Please remember to ask me to exchange these hurt and angry feelings for ones of blessing and love to be poured out on those who hurt you. You are a child of God and must always act as I would. I will exchange your hurt and anger that they may be blessed. You are forgiven for wanting to smite them.
Be at peace.

Lord--

As you know, I wrote the above post last week, even though I did not get around to posting it here until tonight. My work habits need so much improvement and I ask for your help in making the necessary adjustments to my work ethics. Please help me to get on with what I hear you asking me every day--to write. I sometimes think that I have nothing to say and so don't want to post, but I need to get into the habit of writing every day to be considered a writer. I have found that by asking for blessings on those who hurt me and distress me that my attitude is better. I pray that I am doing the right thing. I also must now ask for you to help me with another person who is trying to hurt my husband and myself. I am not sure of the motive here but I do know she is doing everything she can to undermine his business. Please grant to me Lord whatever I need to counter her moves-wisdom, knowledge, courage and kindly spirit. Help me to act in this manner as you would.

My child--

You are doing as I would have you do. You must continue with the dieting and fasting as you asked of me, remember. The diet is for you and the fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is for me. We will overcome and you will delight at the result. Also remember to bless your enemies for your friend has become your enemy. Ask me to bless her and I will act according to my will and it will not disappoint you. You have asked for means to counter her moves and I am delighted to give you what you ask for because it is not money. Her motives and desires have all been about money and so you shall win the battle and be victorious in this matter. Do you trust me? Trust me and thank me and praise me and you shall emerge victorious. Go in peace, my dear child. I love you

How quickly things change

How short life sometimes seems and how quickly it can all change. The sudden illness of a fellow parishoner this week has brought me to realize how very quickly we journey through this stage of our lives.

You would think that I would subsequently feel a strong desire to eliminate from my life the bad habits I have formed and focus more intensly on preparing for the next life, yet my life remains the same and I am stuck in the same old dreary habits that I so wish to escape.

I know that all I need to do is listen to that still small voice of the Lord telling me what to do and yet I find myself falling back into the same ugly habits.

I pray, dear Lord, for the fortitude and courage to change my life to something more acceptable to you, that I might truly do your will each day.

As I was praying this morning for my friend, I began by thinking it is indeed dire and that I must help prepare my friend's wife for his departure from this life, but then I was suddenly filled with a sense of wonder and hope as I realized that you have plans for this wonderful family.

I can't explain it other than to state most emphatically that I know you will cure him from this dreaded illness and that he will become a wonderful blessing to our parish and our community because of this healing.

Thank you so very much, Lord, for the miracle healing of my friend. Help me to know what to do now that I truly believe you will heal him.

Good Morning my sweet one--

Thank you for finally responding to my call and once again writing as I have asked you to do. I once again, though you have not asked, forgive you for the neglect of my commands. Please try to think of me not only as your friend, but also as your King and Lord. Although we are friends and I love our conversations as such, I also am your King and when I give a command to you, I expect it to be fulfilled.

You are right to think of last things and to begin preparing. You may not know the time or place when you will be called, but I want you to feel as if you have come to meet your Lord with lighted lamp and with oil to spare in case my coming is delayed. For so long now you have not realized that you may be called in the blink of an eye, or stricken as suddenly as your friend has been and then all the things you have been so busy planning will be left undone. I do not desire them to remain undone, but to be done that you might give Glory to your Lord and King. So go therefore into this day and make a card as you have felt called to do. Even though you have not completed the set up, the way still exists for you to do these tasks. So begin by selecting the pictures we wish to share...photos of our time spent together and I will guide you as to which ones to share with which people and also the words to use in each card.

My child, I love you mightily. Take this lesson to heart about the time being short with much work to be done. Know that I do have plans for your friend and his family and rest content that their lives are in my hands. Share this knowledge with them and rejoice for I am Lord and your friend.

Thank you my Lord and King. Thank you for the forgiveness of my failure to do your will. Help me to complete the tasks you have given me. I love you.

Coming Back

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Have mercy on me for my failure to do your will. I love you so much and when I hear you asking me to write on my blog, I have been so negligent about responding to your call. Help me, Lord to hear and to obey.

You are the Lord of my life. All that happens to me is according to your will and you have blessed me mightily. Forgive me, once again, my God and King for failure to do your will. I will try to do a better job of responding to your call.

There is so much I would pray about, Lord. The world is such a frightening place these days. What can we do to help bring about your will?

Sweet One--

Know that I do love you and forgive you once again for not instantly obeying me when you hear my call. Realize that my call to write is as demanding a call as a call to go someplace or do something. The difference is that you can respond to this call by just sitting down and writing. I have plans for you and the sooner you begin to respond immediately when I ask you to write, the sooner I can use you and the talents I have given you.

Be not afraid. I am with you and leading you and always forgive you, even when you disappoint me and fail to listen to me. I do live in your heart. Know this and rejoice for we are indeed one.

Go in peace now, my sweet child and sleep for we have much to accomplish in the coming day.

Jesus,

I thank you and praise you and worship you from the very center of my being. I want to do your will and will strive to become better at listening to you and immediately taking action on whatever you ask of me.