My workout partner bailed on me this morning. (payback for yesterday….hmmmm…nah.) Probably a good thing, because we did opposite body parts yesterday and that was going to make for a tricky workout, by Thursday we’ll be good! So, I ‘ll hit it again at lunch today, which is fine by me.
Rather than go back to bed, I had my bon-bon time this morning. Catching up on blogs. Sending out a couple of emails. Chatting with Hubby. And you watch, somehow I will still end up running late this morning. <sigh>
Yesterday, I was listening to a podcast by Pat Gohn and she was talking about “social tithing” and rethinking how we come across this vast internet and the “what if” we gave 1/10 of our social media time, tweets, status updates, blogs, etc to God. A grateful tweet. A shout out to God.
Then a friend posted on Facebook, “Break my heart for what breaks Yours”.
And I’ve been chewing on it subconsciously. I think (I hope) it showed in enjoying the time with Hubby and the girls at the beach last night for an evening “surf practice” and swim session. And in putting the kids to bed last night. And in being grateful for the chaos of the morning rush (coming soon). And in looking forward to the “End-of-the-year” singing concert for our youngest tonight. And in watching old home movies last night. Much to be thankful and a reminder of priorities and what’s really important.
Before I go though, this quote was in my “Small steps for Catholic Moms” this morning and kind of ties those thoughts together:
“The soul which remains attached to anything, even to the least thing, however many its virtues may be, will never arrive at the liberty of the divine union. It matters little whether a bird be fastened by a stout or slender cord–as long as he does not break it, slender as it may be, it will prevent him from flying freely.” St. John Chrysostom
**and don’t forget the rest of the May bloggers:
Funny how fixing something can make you feel so great…all pumped up with yourself and USEFUL! Our washer pooped out on us this weekend, fortunately it was the second to last load and ready for spin cycle. After driving all over town on Sunday afternoon looking for a laundromat to wash the ONE last load (boy’s gym clothes made it a necessity!) Hubby stopped by my step-dad’s house to wash since all the laundromats were closed. He gave Hubby some ideas on what it could be and today he put the theory to the test, installed the part via Youtube and….Voila! Fixed. And already in action. On a roll, he then tackled replacing the sprayer in the kitchen sink….drumroll for…..SUCCESS!
The guy is smoking! I should find something else that needs fixing. You know, strike while the iron is HOT! I figure between the washer repairman and the plumber he saved us at least $150….I think I’ll make him some cookies this week! It’s the little things. Poor guy though, between the P90X, waking up @ 4:30 a.m. and all that “fix-it” after working all day….he’s in bed asleep at 9! I’m so jealous!!
A while back I agreed to do an interview with Pat Gohn from the Among Women pod cast. She’s a wonderful speaker (voice like butter!) and I always enjoy her pod casts: part women Saints history and the other part an interview with various women on various topics. I love getting a glimpse into other people’s lives, their faith walk and how they incorporate their faith into this world. Her program feeds my “spiritual voyeurism” and encourages me to keep on keepin’ on. We all need that from time to time, don’t we? Back to the interview…..she asked me to speak about MY faith and how it was tested, evolved and sustained me through our own trials. For some reason I agreed. Completely out of my comfort zone, I assure you. However, I had prayed for a long time that if our suffering and faith walk were ever to be a comfort and encouragement to others, than “Lord, here I am”.
Pat was amazing. Having NEVER done anything like this in my life, she guided me each step of the way. Beginning with a draft AND a word count (sheesh!), she edited my story showing me where to fill in the holes. Once I got going, I didn’t worry about the word count, the story wrote itself. We Skyped a couple of times to go over things and prep and then came the interview. It was like chatting with a dear friend over coffee, which is exactly as she wants it to feel. HOW does she do that???
In the end, the show was aired this week. I listened yesterday and once I stopped counting my “uh’s and umm’s” (a public speaking gig I won’t be pursuing any time soon) I listened. And relived. And stepped out of myself. And praised God for a wonderful work that He has done in our family. (and continues to do so daily) I also realized that I need to get back to THAT place of prayer and faith that I purely lived in heart, mind and soul for so long. I hope it was somewhat of a tribute to how God blessed us so amazingly with family and friends in our life willing to do His work for us. It really does take a village and our family, our children, have been blessed mightily in spite of this period of difficulty.
So cling to Him. He will deliver you. Today’s Readings are of Esther asking for God to put the words in her mouth to release her people. She gives Him full reign, full obedience. Waiting on direction. The Psalms remind us that when we call on the Lord, He DOES hear us. We are to trust. And in the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus reminds us to ask, seek and the door will be opened. And if even we as earthly parents give our children what the ask for can we even IMAGINE what God can do for us. I’m here to tell you, it’s true. Every bit. It’s a huge step in faith. Easy to say, but that first step is a doozy and won’t be one you regret.
Blessings!
Friday and since I am on a roll, I figured I would once again participate in 7 Quick Takes with lots of other people! You can check in over @ Betty Beguiles for all kinds of fun, weekly reports from all over the world!
Happy Friday to all! God Bless!
making the trek 