Who hasn’t gone out shopping for advice?  I’m always seeking out the genius thoughts others have to offer.

I often call my daughter over before I head out the door and demand she answer which shoes look better, right foot or left foot.  I ask my husband on a regular basis to come into the kitchen to sample my casserole and let me know if it tastes funny.  My son gets to answer questions over and over about run on sentences along with proper use of semi-colons.

I talk through all kinds of life problems and funny situations with family and friends.

Yes no doubt, I definitely pay attention to the words others have to say, their advice, their know-how, their kindness, their jokes, their experiences, and their understanding.

But there are those times when what is said just doesn’t sit right with me.  A red flag goes up in my mind.  I crinkle up my forehead as I hear the words of others around me and find myself not agreeing with them at all.

When the red flags start to rise I take the advice of Joyce Meyer who writes: “Hear what others have to say, but listen to God.” 

Deep inside us is the voice of God.  We have to listen for His answers and His infinite wisdom.  This I know:  His words never change and His love never dies.  He doesn’t double back on His promises and that love He offers comes with an abundance of guarantees.  Without doubt God gives an unwavering word of honor.

How can we not want to hear what He has to say?

The majority or the minority may want to continue babbling on with contrary words against God, but we mustn’t let that sway our thinking one way or another.  If what you hear goes against what you believe deep in your soul, stick with the thoughts of your soul.

Then let’s talk.

There’s a lot to be said about listening to God.

Love:  In less than a moment’s notice it can rip your insides to shreds.  It can bring so much joy to your heart that it overflows with gladness, it will twist your life upside down, and then do an about face bringing meaning and balance, it has ups higher than the clouds above, and it has downs so low you feel you are sinking out of control.  It can require constant work, while other times it flows effortlessly about.

Over and over our hearts get shattered to pieces by the love we have for another.  Regardless of this fact we still must love deeply.  There is no other kind of love.

Deep love for each other is what makes life livable.

When someone we love leaves us by death or rejection, or simply moving away it hurts us in an indescribable way.  A pain that often is more painful than anything physical we have ever felt.

A well known author and cherished Catholic Priest Henri Nouwen (1932 – 1996) wrote “Every time you experience the pain of rejection, absence, or death, you are faced with a choice.  You can become bitter and decide not to love again, or you can stand straight in your pain and let the soil on which you stand become richer and more able to give life to new seeds.”

His words continue with: “When your love is truly giving and receiving, those whom you love will not leave your heart even when they depart from you.  They will become part of yourself and thus gradually build a community within you. . . . .Yes, as you love deeply the ground of your heart will be broken more and more, but you will rejoice in the abundance of the fruit it will bear.”

Love:  That crazy thing that causes so much pain and at the same time brings along so much joy to our lives somehow or other always seems to find a way to take up a permanent spot in our hearts.

When struggling with the sorrow deep love can produce I circle back to these words …“When your love is truly giving and receiving, those whom you love will not leave your heart even when they depart from you.  They will become part of yourself”…

That crazy thing called love makes life livable; where anything can transpire, the choice is up to you.

Remain steadfast and celebrate what deep love truly reveals.

It’s all about trust.

Finding God and trusting in Him is as essential to daily living as eating a balanced diet is fundamental to maintaining a healthy body.  Trusting in God allows us to approach life with confidence and sureness.

From there we have to continue to choose right from wrong.  Every minute of living is made up of choices.  It is up to us to decide how to choose to live.  The following quote sums up quite nicely how to choose to live out our life from start to finish.

 “When you were born you were crying and everyone around you was laughing and smiling.  Live your life so that when you die, you are the one smiling and laughing while everyone around you is crying.”

What a blessing to start life welcomed and wanted.  Where people are excited about your presence and care for your existence; where smiles and laughter follow you.

To continue on living a good life sure of where you are going sounds so simple and uncomplicated.  Living so that when your time is up on earth you will be welcomed and wanted in the Promise Land; where God is excited about your presence and will hold you in the hallow of His hand; a place where laughter and smiles always exist.

How simple this mixed up life of ours could be turned around if we could fully trust in God.  How easy our complicated problems could disappear if we would play by God’s rules.  How good it would feel to be welcomed by all if we put away our pride and prejudice.  How inviting to be wanted and needed in this life if we reached out to each other with the love of God.

A good life revolves around God.  To embrace life and all it offers is to embrace God.

Ah, the secret to life.

It’s all about trust.

In real life I have tripped over bundles of hay walking in a field, it seems like I always have bundles of laundry to do, I have enough sense to bundle up before heading outside on cold winter days, and I like to listen to my husband tell stories of carrying heavy newspaper bundles on his paper route as a kid.

I also know that I’ll never forget the exact moment a bundle of joy was placed in my arms fifteen years ago today.

She was so little, so beautiful, and so full of life.  Little did I know the great joy she would continue to bring into our lives with those crystal blue eyes that forever sparkle and her generous heart that is so very cheerful.

To describe her character is a great honor.  She has the distinct qualities of being honest, good to the bone, sweet, kind, generous, and never one who likes to make fun of another person.  She says wise things like “you can’t be best friends with everyone, but you can be friendly to anyone”.    Oh she is so very wise beyond her years.

Her eyes may give her sight but her heart is what she uses as her direct guide in life to get from place to place spreading joy everywhere.  She is the type of person who brings laughter into any situation.  She has faith much stronger than that of a typical teenager.

Many can learn from her great disposition.  She has taught me so much about what is really important in life.  Knowing God and His love for her, loving her family and friends, being joyful and living each day to the fullest is how she lives out her daily life.

I find similar advice in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances.  This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.”

She does just that; living out a balanced life with prayer and gratitude; always keeping her wits about her; finding ways to smile and be happy in life.  I won’t trade my bundle of joy for anything in the world, but I will share her wisdom!

“Be joyful always.”

P.S. Happy Birthday to a very special daughter from a grateful mom who has been blessed a bundle!

Why is it when you’re already later than late you end up stuck at the back of a line that doesn’t move forward?  How did it work out that the one and only day you forget your security pass is the same day a new attendant happens to be working and not one soul gets through without their pass?

Sometimes it seems that humankind isn’t kind at all.  Who cares?  Who cares enough to help you out?

Well, there is one person; you know Him.  He is the one who would have let you slip to the head of the line; He would have easily vouched for you.

We live under the power of a caring God.  A God who does not want us to spend all our days fretting about; worried about this and that; a God that works for the greater good in our lives.

1 Peter 5:7 affirms this by these words “leave all your worries with Him, because He cares for you”.

He cares for you so very lavishly; much more than you will ever know.  He cares when people falsely accuse you; but not to worry because He knows the whole truth.

He cares when we mess up and He is right there waiting, ready to swap out mercy and forgiveness for our worrisome ways as we wonder how we will ever undo what we done wrong.

Yep, leave all your worries with Him.

Your problems will never be too small for God to be concerned; everything is small compared to God.  Just like there is nothing that God can’t handle; after all, He is God.  He cares when you are fed up with life; when nothing seems to be going right.  He provides a tomorrow with new hopes and brighter dreams.  Believe in Him; He cares.

Stop living life filled with worries.

Start living life under His watchful care.

Embark on a new way to live.

“Leave all your worries with Him, because He cares for you.”

Mystery, thriller, suspense, romance, drama, even some comedy thrown in for good measure; plus recorded testimonies of second chances, real stories about people bearing faith of steel, hopeless causes turned into actual miracles, never ending love, and so much more fill the pages of this most printed book of all time…The Holy Bible.

Some groups of book experts consider it to be the world’s most read book and it has also been put in the category as the world’s bestselling book for all times.

All households should have one copy readily available being that the acronym for the word BIBLE was formed appropriately enough to read as: ““Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”.

To recap:  the Holy Bible is not only the most printed book, but also the most read and the bestselling book of all times!  How captivating is that?

I always have the best of intentions at the beginning of each year of reading the Bible from cover to cover.  Promising myself that I must read at least one chapter per day; then something happens, my bookmark gets lost, I don’t want to wake up the house by turning on a bunch of lights as I suddenly remember I never made the time to read as I lay in bed ready to fall asleep, I always mean to get back on track with my daily reading of at least one chapter, but something always seems to happen and this endeavor is once again prolonged.

Maybe I’m not cut out to read cover to cover.  Maybe God has a better way for me to read His words.

I know that attending Mass on a regular basis is one of the easiest ways to listen and follow along to the words from this great book.  Another way I get totally involved and can’t put down the book is when I hear or read a quote taken from the Bible that stirs my heart in such a way where I must get out my Bible to re-read the verse and find myself caught up in the unfaltering faith of the writers.  Or I love it when I’m doing a Bible crossword puzzle and I need the Bible to cheat “just a little” on the answers and not only do I figure out the seven letter word, but one line flows into the next and I’m so moved by the power of the word of God I’ve read more than my one chapter that I always wished I could fulfill.

Then there are the times when I need help and sitting right there propped up on my bookshelf is that beautiful old book that gives “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”.  Nestled in-between the pages I find a cure for my aching heart; a way to soothe my racing mind; a gentle reminder of true love from a God alive and well.

The Holy Bible…You must read all about it!

Just when I think people can’t sink any lower, when I think I have heard it all; someone comes along and transforms what has happened by doing the nicest of things for a complete stranger for no apparent reason.

It becomes contagious and makes the world news.  People helping people, humanity comes through once more.

Random acts of kindness performed for no other reason than being kind.  A simple act of kindness that warms the heart and ignites the spirit just when it is most needed.  The whole thing reminds me of one of my prayer companions.  St. Therese “The Little Flower”.

She spent her entire life living out the meaning of kindness.  Somehow she knew the saving power in these little acts she preformed day by day; hour upon hour, spending all the minutes she could to make someone’s day brighter, easier, and better.

Taken from letters and prayers that she wrote we can clearly see how she lived out her life always trying to please Jesus by putting others before herself.

“Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.” 

“A word or a smile is often enough to put fresh life in a despondent soul.”

“My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience.”  

Anyone can do it.  Random acts of kindness do not have to involve money, or expertise, or physical labor; it just has to involve the movement of our heart.

When we put our mind to it the pumping actions of our heart can illuminate the world.

People helping people; one smile at a time.

Holding on tightly to hope I gently remove last year’s calendar.  One last time I allow myself to flip through the past months remembering loved ones dear to me that have passed away during the year.  Keeping hope in my grasp I am able to replace the calendar and begin the New Year knowing life continues on for those we loved.

Just as surely the way we breathe in and out, hope floats back and forth.

Jesus tells us that with faith the size of a mustard seed one can move mountains.  This tiny, microscopic speck of faith is what gives us hope.

Hope sends us love.  Love gives us life.  The kind of life we all need; life beyond earth; eternal life; everlasting life.

Hope plays such a large part in our life.  We always hope for the best.  We hope it won’t be as bad as we think it is.  We hope for second chances.  We hope for cures.  We hope the pain will stop.  We hope we can make it through to the end.

When I read the Gospels and their account of Jesus’ death and resurrection it always makes me wonder when the disciple Peter and the beloved disciple John went running to Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning what were they hoping for?  What were their thoughts as they were running full speed?  Were they simply thinking they would find Him wrapped in cloth laying there as He was laid to rest the night before?  Did they hope the whole thing to be a dream and Jesus to have never suffered?

No, that would have been too easy.  Our God took a hold of hope and offered up love.  The deepest love one could have for another.  Love that brings life; life that even death can’t steal; life beyond this earth; eternal life; everlasting life.

All it takes is a little grain of faith to keep hope floating.  I have hope that when our loved ones took their last breath here on earth; like the disciple Peter and the beloved disciple John they went running full speed to find Jesus.  I know it is there (in Jesus) that we will all find love and life.

Hope continues to float from a God that offers love.

In loving memory for all our loved ones who have passed on from this life to the next. 

The sun rises, the sun sets; some things just never change.  Our prayers whether they are from this generation or the next often reflect the same things; the same desires; all from the same God.

An unnamed seventeenth century nun wrote the following prayer.  As I read and meditate on her words I think of how easily it could have been written today instead of centuries past.  The thirteen points seemed to jump off the page into my lap giving me a stable prayer foundation perfect for the start of a New Year.

Here is her prayer; in her own words:

Dear God:

1. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and every occasion.
2. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs.
3. Make me thoughtful but not moody.
4. Helpful but not bossy.
5. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details.
6. Give me wings to get to the point.
7. Seal my lips on my aches and pains.
8. Give me patience to endure the tales of others’ pains.
9. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.
10. Keep me reasonably sweet; not a saint – not a sour old person.
11. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places.
12. To see talents in unexpected people.
13. And give me O Lord, the grace to tell them so.

A prayer from the seventeenth century that seems fitting for us twenty first century dwellers; thirteen prayers directed towards living a better life with less complaining and gaining more favorable characteristics.

O Lord, as we start the New Year bless us with the gift of answered prayer from an unnamed seventeenth century nun.

What are your plans for the coming year?

Are they grand?  Are they going to change your life for the better?  Or are they going to be so jammed packed that each day will flow into the next without a moment’s notice?  Do your plans need some structure?  Some scheme of sorts?  Some promise; something new?

I suspect if we were to keep tally marks on how our days went down for this past year we might not be so proud.  It may not look so appealing with forty-two marks under “Days Complaining”; thirty-six strikes for time spent “Wallowing in Self Pity”; twenty-eight check marks for all the hours burned living as a “Couch Potato”; and on we could go marking off all the days we wasted precious time.

Wish you could get those days back?  Redo a few?  Well, join the club!

Unfortunately, time is something that can’t be forced into reverse.  We can’t buy time or stop it from ticking away; it keeps going no matter what happens or doesn’t happen.

Soon we will start the beginning of a brand new year.  Three hundred and sixty five more chances to live life to the fullest.  We could simply try to plan on letting God’s love take over our days.

Love that inspires us to quit complaining about nothing; love that energizes us to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and start feeling mercy towards others; love that mobilizes us to get off that couch and do something purely for the love of God; love that fires us up instead of letting ourselves get so worked up over some silly plan that went haywire.

Love that lasts forever as Saint Paul writes in his letter to the Romans:  “For I am certain that nothing can separate us from His love; neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below–there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I have a grand plan–three hundred and sixty five days plus forever under the indestructible influence of Jesus.

Happy New Year, May it be filled with the Love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.