While attending a study group on the Eucharist, I heard in a DVD, Rev. Robert Barron speak of “the Loop of Grace.”  In essence, what was said is that God loved us into being and that whatever grace God bestows on us, whatever gift God gives us, we cannot hold on to.  We need to give it back to Him through words of praise and graditude or acts of loving service for others, offered to Him.  God then multiplies it and returns more blessings and gifts back to us.  When we give God our love and gratitude for all His blessings, He bestows more love on us.

Father Barron explained that Adam and Eve interrupted the Loop of Grace by disobeying God and eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge.  They did not offer it back to God, did not thank Him for it; but, kept it for themselves to be like God.  Hence, original sin.

Father Barron explained the Eucharist in this Loop of Grace.  God so loved us that He gave us Jesus Incarnate.  At Mass, we bring to the priest the host and wine, who then offers this bread and wine to God for us in thanksgiving.  God returns that to us in the form of the Body and Blood of Jesus.  When we eat of this, we are receiving more graces and transformed into Christ’ likeness.  God does not need our love and gratitude; so, when we give it to Him, He returns it abundantly to us.

Couldn’t help but think of my little darlings who, on numerous occasions, would gather up dandelions into bouquets and run home to give them to me.  “Mommy, these are for you!”  Tiny little flowers, given with a huge amount of love.  And so I would swoop my little one up into my arms, all the while giving him lots of kisses.  We would enjoy the little centerpiece as we gobbled down cookies and milk at the kitchen table.  Other times they would bring home violets or roses and once to my horror, tulips from the neighbors garden!  All given with their love.

In the early months of our Prayer Shawl Ministry, we needed yarn and asked God for help.  Lovingly and immediately He sent us donors.  We were so happy that we continually thanked God for His goodness. We prayed for our donors and gave our shawls away to those who needed God’s love.  We have been in existence for three years now, donating over 700 items and have never been in need of yarn since then.  A modern day Loaves and Fishes Story!   God has always provided us with what we need.  All praise and glory be to our loving Father!

So it seems to me, I need to remember that all that I own, all that I have and all the talents I possess are gifts from a loving God.  The polite thing to do, as I was taught, is to give thanks and to show my appreciation to the Giver.  The next step is to offer these blessings back to God by lovingly sharing my material goods and talents with others.  God will then send more blessings…more blessings to give thanks for and to be shared.

God loves us more than we can ever imagine.  We, ever so meagerly, return love to Him.  And in His delight, God bestows more love onto us.  I guess we can never out-love God!

God’s blessings to you and all those you love.

Sharyn

Dear God,  Thank You, thank You, thank You for everything.  Words are not enough to show my gratitude for all You have given me.  Help me to always share my blessings.  Amen.

How fortunate Lou and I were to be able to take a road trip recently.  Down to Myrtle Beach and then across the state to attend a wedding.  We decided to stay off those crazy, high speed roadways and take the scenic route.  Across the bay by ferry, over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel and along Highway 17.  Loved going through the small towns, stopping at the quaint shops and dining at the Mom & Pop eateries.  The benefits of being retired…we can do a 8 hour trip in 16 hours!

After a few days we were headed west.  Lou put our destination into the GPS.  I checked the route on a map for the southern states.   As we started, “Jack” the GPS voice, wanted us to turn south and then make several turns after that before getting onto a highway.  Highway names rather than numbers were used, much to my dismay.  I remembered a sign several miles to the north for the highway we wanted to be on.

“Honey, I think Jack is sending us the wrong way.”  “If we turn right we can catch Route 50 up the road apiece,” I said.  “That’s ok; I think we’ll be fine,” Lou stated.  “But I think we are going out of our way.”  “We’ll be fine.”  And so the conversation went until there was no response from Lou.  So, we followed where Jack led.  Hard for me to do, as I like to be in control in some situations and driving is one of them.

After a few minutes of quiet, there we were, merging onto Route 50 heading west. Jack was right!  Wouldn’t you know it!  Had we turned right, heading north as I suggested, we would have gotten onto Route 50 only to come back south again.  Jack found the shorter route.  “Wow, Jack was right, Honey.”  “Good job, Jack!”  Hubby just smiled.

99% of the time I trust God.  I realized long ago that He knows what He is doing.  At first it was hard to give up control of situations and turn things over to God; but, I did learn.  How much easier my life was after that!

Sometimes I’m in a situation and for that 1% of the time, I think I know how things should unfold.  Usually, Lou and I will have pretty much the same conversation where he is content to turn things over to God and I’m thinking God may need my help.  I don’t ever think I know better than God anymore.  When young, yes, but not any more.  Now, only occasionally, I think He needs my help to move things along faster and in the right direction.

As always, God does what needs to be done and I stand in amazement as to how things turn out for the best.  Many times in ways I could never imagine.  And then, it’s always… “Wow, God was right; look at what He did” and “Thank you, God!”

God always knows best.  Sometimes it’s not the fastest or shortest route; but, the more scenic route.  Sometimes He brings us through places we would rather not be.  But then He might bring us to a destination far better than we could ever have imagined.  We just need to trust Him.

I remember in the days before GPS how easy it was to get lost, to wander aimlessly. Now trips are easier with “Jack.”  So it is with life.  When we trust God to lead our way, we will never get lost or wander aimlessly.  He will guide us through all of life’s terrain, every moment of everyday, and get us safely to where we need to be.

God’s blessings to you and those you love,

Sharyn

Dear God, Watch over and guide me as I travel through life.  May my final destination be with You and all the angels and saints for all eternity.  Amen.

The past few days have been unusually warm in my area so gardening was high on my list of priorities.  Mulching, pruning, planting, weeding, and cleaning were tasks to be done.  I truly enjoy preparing my garden for summer, making it a wonderful place to enjoy the birds, squirrels, chipmunks and, on occasion, deer.

Gathering my tools, a small shovel, pruning shears, rake and watering can, I began revitalizing the garden.  Three garden tools and a watering can is all I needed.  There are many other garden tools in my garage, gifts from hubby who is truly a gadget person.  Yet, I find I use the same three tools.  They do everything I need to do in my garden.

I couldn’t help but think of my friends as I went about my work.  I have a few dear ones and it seems they are always there for whatever I need in my life.  Someone to listen to me, to validate my feelings or give me some sound advice. They are there when I need help and there to share in my joys, as well as my sorrows.

There are many other wonderful people I know through church and various ministries who I enjoy being with and have come to love.  But, my dear ones are always there through thick and thin, good times and bad.  Whatever life doles out, I have these dear ones to share it with.

They help me “clean up” the difficult times, help me “prune” and “weed” the unimportant things in my life to keep my priorities in line and help me “plant” and “sow” new and wonderful memories.  How blessed I am!

As soon as the word “blessed” comes to mind, I think of God, my Father, Who, indeed, has blessed me abundantly.  It is He who has sent these dear friends into my life.  It is through them that He helps me.  It is through them that He loves me.  It is through them that He tells me I am not alone.

If I ponder this a little longer, I realize it is God who I foremost need in my life because it is He who cares for me.  It is He who knows what I need and who I need in my life.  I didn’t have to seek out these friends; they came into my life.  There they were one day and our friendship grew!

And pondering still further, who’s life is He sending me into?  Who does He want me to help and comfort?   To be an instrument of His love is awesome and quite a responsibility!  With that in mind, I really have to be welcoming to all that cross my path during the day… a smile, a hello, a moment to make small talk.   In that first moment of meeting, I have no idea of what God has in store for us, the impression we will make on each other or how our lives may become intwined.

Peace and love to you and yours.

Sharyn

Dear God,  Thank you for the blessing of friends.  Help me to be a good friend to others.  Let Your love shine through me.  Amen.

A story is circulating on the internet about masked men with guns entering a church and asking who was willing to “take a bullet” for Jesus?  The church was nearly cleared as most ran in fear for their lives.  The men then removed their masks announcing to the preacher that all the hypocrites were gone and the service could begin.  The question then posed was, “Would you run?”

As a child, I heard similar stories involving missionaries during World War II.   Back then, at the age of 9, I knew definitely I would stay.  I was willing to die for Jesus and my faith.  No question about it, I was ready to be a martyr.

Today, I would like to think I would stay; but, I wonder what I really would do looking into the barrel of a gun.  Yes, definitely, I would want to stay.  I would want to die for Jesus and for my Catholic Faith.  But would I really have the courage in that moment?  Or would I be like Peter and deny Jesus?

I could rationalize that decision as I’m running out the door:

*I have to take care of my husband who has Parkinson’s.

*I have to care for my grandchild when my son, a single dad, works.

*Jesus would understand why I couldn’t stay.

*Jesus died for us, He doesn’t demand we die for him.

*And the #1 rationalization would be… Jesus forgave Peter and He would forgive me, too.

Fortunately, I probably will never be in a situation to have to make that choice to die for Christ; to be called upon to be a martyr.

But I do have a choice to die unto myself daily for Christ’s sake.   Yes, that’s where I can succeed with His help.  I can try every day to put others before myself.  To do for others, not just when I feel like it or when it’s convenient; but, when I don’t feel like it and when I’m tired and would rather say “no.”

Family, friends and even strangers may need my help, support or kindness… sometimes when I only want to think about me and my needs; or when I question, “why me, why do I have to help; can’t someone else.” It’s during those times, with the needs of others facing me, that I have the choice to put my life on hold and be there for them.

Jesus’ isn’t asking me to physically die for Him, but He is asking me to die unto myself for  others in His name.

Peace to you and all those you love.

Sharyn

Dear God,  Give me the strength to die unto myself and live for you each day.  Amen

Thank goodness it’s Friday!  For some, today will be a good day because it’s the last work day of the week.  For retirees, that doesn’t matter, as it’s six Saturdays and a Sunday every week, anyway.  But for me, today is a very special day.  It’s my husband’s birthday and a great day to celebrate a special man.

“What makes Lou special,” you might ask?  Well, he’s always laughing; a happy soul, who loves telling jokes…some are hysterical, some elicit groans.  But the grandkiddies love PopPop and flock to his side to hear them.  He always sees the humor in things; so we wind up laughing, sometimes at the most unexpected times.

He has a peacefulness about him.  He gives me the calm I often need. He is my rock and safe harbor in troubled times.  Seldom stressed out.  Only seen him stressed a handful of times…a handful over 51 years is not very much.

He’s one of those people that makes lemonade when life gives him lemons!  I don’t think he has a negative bone in his body; always sees the positive side of things.  And never in a rush.  He enjoys every minute and sees the beauty in things.

He is a religious man, but never preaches religion during an average day.  Nope, he lives it.  He always says that you should teach others about God through your actions, not by your words alone.

Now don’t get me wrong, he does have his faults.  Don’t all men?  In the scheme of things, his faults are minor and only annoying when I haven’t gotten enough sleep.

So what makes him this way?  Over the years I have discovered his philosophy on life….

* why be miserable and grumpy when it takes less effort to be happy.

* why waste time worrying about things that, most likely, won’t ever happen.

* why stress over things; things always turn out the way they are supposed to anyway.

* why rush through the day; you’ll miss some good stuff.

So how did he come upon this philosophy?  Very simply…he believes that God will take care of him and his family.  “God will get us through this,” he’s told me on several occasions.  His belief in God is strong and his trust in God stronger still.  He gives each care and worry to God.  He does what he needs to do, to the best of his ability, and then trusts God to handle the rest.  He lives his life according to a simple belief I often hear him state: “God loves us, God is always with us and God will never abandoned us.”

Happy birthday, Honey!  I love you.

God’s Peace to you and all those you love,

Sharyn

Dear God,

Today my prayers are those of thanksgiving.  Thank you for giving me Lou. Amen.

PS Please bless him in a special way today.

A young widow I knew, Lisa, once told me that her neighbor would constantly complain about her husband.  The garage was always a mess.  He never put anything back where it belonged.  He left his clothes piled on a chair in their bedroom.  Her neighbor’s complaining never stopped.  Lisa said to me that she couldn’t understand how this woman would complain about a husband she had to her, a new widow with young children who lost her husband suddenly.  “I would give anything to have my husband back,” Lisa said.  She continued to say that a messy garage or bedroom chair would be wonderful if her husband were here to make those messes.  Does it take a tragedy to get our priorities in order?

I can relate to Lisa’s neighbor.  When my family was young we were blessed with few problems…we were healthy, my husband supported us comfortably, I was a stay-at-home mom and we enjoyed some of the good things in life.  My husband, Lou, was a good husband and a great father.  He always helped with the kids and around the house.  He’s still great and still helps to this very day!

So what was the problem back then?  There should have been no complaints and yet I would find them…our garage was messy, too, most of the time and the kids would leave their toys around the house.  I wanted even the little things to be perfect.  I dusted, vacuumed and did laundry everyday.  There was a routine and I never strayed from it.  Our  neighbors and close friends lived similar lives.  Between all of us women there was always someone who had something to complain about.  Perhaps we all lived in a bubble!

At forty and back at work, I had the opportunity to meet many who were going through difficult times.  There were my divorce support groups and grief groups, not only for adults, but for children.  My colleague facilitated the Parkinson’s Disease support group and we provided health screenings for the underprivileged.

It was then I saw the pain and suffering of other people… young children who lost a parent; single moms struggling to make ends meet after a divorce or the death of a husband; people suffering from chronic, debilitating diseases; the poor who had no food or were homeless. They changed my perspective on life.

The bubble burst!  How dare I complain when God had blessed me so abundantly!  But for the grace of God, I could be that young widow with four young sons.  My loved ones could have a debilitating disease or I could be homeless.

My complaining turned to gratitude.  I was grateful we had a garage, didn’t matter if it was messy.  I was thankful I had toys for my children to play with.  I was thankful I had healthy children that could play with toys.

I realized that in an instant my life could change.  The little annoyances in life didn’t matter anymore.  It didn’t matter if there was dust on the tables.  Nothing mattered except that my family was together, that we were all healthy and we were happy.

Time was precious.  I wanted to laugh more and play more.  I became less rigid and less stressed.  I wanted to enjoy every moment with those I loved.  I wanted them to know how much I loved them and how very important they were to me.

My priorities shifted….first, as always, God; second, my spouse and then my children.  All else came after that, in whatever order worked best for my family at the time.  But that dust…well, that dust never made it high on my list ever again.

Peace be with you and those you love.

Sharyn

Dear God,  Thank you for all Your blessings.  Thank You for the insight to appreciate all the good things You have so graciously given me.  Forgive me for any complaining that might slip through my lips.  Amen.

There is much controversy around President Obama’s HHM Mandate.  Catholic bishops are leading their flock demanding religious liberty.  Those challenging the Catholic Church can’t  understand the Church’s stand and think it’s just about contraceptives.  It’s not; it’s about forcing Catholic employers to pay for things that go against their conscience in the most fundamental precepts of their Catholic religion.  Churches have never before been forced to do that in the history of the United States.

Similarly, I wonder what would happen if all Catholic employers demanded that all their non-Catholic employees attend Mass on Sundays in order for them to remain employed.  My guess is non-Catholic employees would be outraged that they must compromise their beliefs or non beliefs by regularly attending Catholic Mass.  My guess is they would say it goes against their religious liberty.  Umm….yet Catholic employers are expected to go against their religious beliefs in the HHM Mandate.  Just a thought.

May God bless you and those you love.

Sharyn

Dear God, Send the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen our religious leaders and to give us wisdom and understanding.  Amen.

Easter Morming April 8, 2012

Here it is Easter morning.  What can I possibily say?  This love story speaks for its self.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving us so much that you suffered and died for us, for me, so that we can be with you forever.  My words seem so shallow in comparison to all You have done to save me.

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you for this Easter morning.

Sharyn

Wishing you all a Blessed Easter.

To  have a child of any age die is heartbreaking.  And unless you have experienced that, you can’t begin to imagine the pain.  What was it like for Mary that Friday over 2000 years ago?  How did she hear that Jesus was arrested?  Did someone hurry to her house to tell her?  Did she hear of it in the streets?  What thoughts raced through her mind as she rushed to find her Son?  Could she have thought of Joseph, her deceased husband, wishing he was there with her?

How difficult was it to make her way through the crowds?  Was she there when Pilate offered to release a prisoner as custom had it?  If so, would she have shouted for Jesus’ release?    Was her voiced swallowed up by shouts for Barabbus?   How much of this Redemption did she understand?  Did she know Jesus could not be released, but must suffer and die for all mankind?  Even if  Jesus shared this with her, how much was fully comprehended?  And, regardless of that, even full knowledge could not have taken away her pain.

What was it like for her to finally meet Jesus on the road to Golgotha?  Did visions of a little babe swaddled in cloth race through her mind?  Did she see Him as a child helping Joseph in his carpentry shop?  Did she remember the words of Simeon in the temple, “a sword shall pierce your heart?”

What did she think when her eyes met her Son’s eyes as He carried the cross?  What did she think when she saw the torn flesh, the crown of thorns, the blood oozing down His face, down His arms and back?  Did she cry out to God the Father to help her Son… to help her…to give her the strength to endure this pain?

Did she pray unceasingly as they drove nails into His hands and feet and raised the cross?  Did it feel as though her heart had been ripped from her chest?   When they laid Jesus in her arms did she hold His battered body close to her as she did when He was a baby?  Did she kiss His blood stained face over and over.  How long did she hold Him in her arms before she was able to give Him up for burial?  Did the women who were there, then hold her in their arms as she wept?   Were there any words spoken?  What could they have possibly said to ease her pain?   Did Mary say anything to these women as they, too, wept?

What was that day like for Mary…the Mother of God?  What was that day like for Mary… the mother of this young man whom she carried in her womb, gave birth to in a stable, cared for and loved through His childhood up to that very day?  What was that Friday, over 2000 years ago, like for Mary?

May God bless you and all those you love,

Sharyn

Dear God,  Thank you for loving me so much as to send Your Beloved Son to suffer and die for my sins.  Thank you for giving me Mary as my Mother, too.  I know I can always depend on her motherly love to help me through the painful times of my life.  Amen.

“If I believed that Christ was truly there in the communion host, I would crawl on my hands and knees to the altar,” said my very dear friend over 30 years ago.   I have never forgotten her words.  Marilyn is a spiritual, Christ-filled Presbyterian who has been there through thick and thin with me.  So why have those words remained tucked away in my mind and in my heart?

They are a constant reminder that if I believe in the True Presence, which I do, then Christ’s Presence in the Eucharist deserves the utmost reverence and a humble, grateful appreciation for this miracle. In all my years, I have to say, there certainly have been times during Mass, even at the Consecration and walking to receive the Eucharist that my mind has wandered. How could that happen?  With our Lord truly present in that church, how could my mind wander?

Our Pastor has found it necessary, on several occasions, to address in the Sunday bulletin the correct and reverend way to receive Communion.  If we believe as Catholics, then why are we not awestruck with the magnitude of this sacrament each time we receive the Eucharist?  With the opportunity to receive Communion everyday, have we taken this Sacrament for granted?  Has Communion become common place and do we treat it as such?

And yet, Father Robert Barron, in his book, Eucharist, says that during the three times he distributed communion at Mass in St. Peter’s  Square people would reach for the host while crying out, “Padre, Padre, per favore (Father, Father, please).”  He says that he had the sense he was carrying food to people who were desperate to receive it.  He continues to say that those people realized they needed the Eucharist for their spiritual life.  They would die without it just as people need food for physical life.

As a young nurse, when working weekends, I would attend Sunday Mass in the chapel of a psychiatric hospital on my way home from work.  It was a small chapel with a few staff in attendance and Mass celebrated by a visiting priest.  One Sunday, as it came time to receive Communion, the priest stopped, apologized and said he could not find the key to the tabernacle.  Hence, no one would be able to receive; he had no hosts to distribute.

A feeling of longing and disappointment came over me.  It was as though I anticipated visiting someone dear, arrived at their home, and rang the doorbell only to realize they were not there. Mass was over and slowly I returned to my car.  I missed Him, I missed not receiving Jesus.  Because of my work schedule, I had to wait until the following Sunday to receive Communion.  I realized how important the Eucharist was to me…how much I needed it…how much I needed Jesus to be with me.

Now, I find myself thinking of Christ, the Christ who died for me, the Christ who rose from the dead, there at the foot of the altar waiting for me to receive Him.  He waits there patiently for me, as unworthy as I am, to make my way up the aisle.  He waits to be with me.  He also waits patiently for those who are not there. He waits for them to return to be with Him, to receive Him into their heart and soul. Our loving Lord and Savior, in all His glory, is truly present for us.  How awesome… how mind boggling!

May God bless you and all those you love.

Sharyn

Dear God, Thank you for giving me your Son in the Eucharist. May I always be in awe of this miracle and filled with a gratitude and appreciation.  Amen