When I Think I Know…
March 27, 2009 at 12:00 am (Misc.)
Just when I think I know someone they’ll go and do something that catches me completely off guard, something so unexpected that I begin to wonder if I ever really knew them at all…
…and then, someone I think I hardly know will say or do something so familiar, so very close to home that I’m left wondering if there’s something to that whole “kindred spirit” thing
Just when I think I know God and have Him all figured out, He shows me a side of Himself that I never knew before and He leaves me humbled by my presumption and amazed by the many facets of His grace…
…and then there are those moments when I don’t think I know Him at all – when I feel far from who He is and even farther from His heart– and He surprises me by revealing His familiar presence in the deepest part of my soul and I realize…
When I think I know… I really don’t.
Ten things my dad taught me
March 26, 2009 at 6:52 pm (Family, Parenting)
Today is my dad’s 70th birthday.
In honor of his 70th I thought about listing the top 70 things my dad taught me but realized that would be a mighty long post. So, I’ve decided to go with a “top ten” list of things I’ve learned from my dad over the years. Here they are…
10) Show mercy – My dad is one of the most merciful men I know. I could tell you stories but those are his treasures stored in heaven.
9) Be consistent – I can still hear him saying this to me at a sailing regatta after I finished first and then last in two consecutive races. I don’t think he was suggesting that I had to win every race (and certainly not to consistently come in last) but instead to give focused effort to everything I do. As an adult I’ve translated that advice into being focused and yet balanced. I’ve been working on that ever since then.
8] It’s possible to memorize the book of Proverbs and drive your family crazy with your wisdom— I love ya Dad! J
7) Be generous—I think that’s one reason why I picked St. Francis of Assisi as my confirmation saint.
6) Eat chocolate pie for breakfast J
5) Think before you speak—I’m sure there was a proverb he quoted for this. Of course, those who know me well know I’m still working on this one
4) Work hard
3) Take care of you family
2) Loyalty and the importance of keeping a confidence—I don’t think there’s anyone in the world I would trust more with a secret than my Dad.
Finally, the number one thing I learned from my Dad….I can trust my Father God
My dad didn’t just teach me this with words, he taught it by the way he lived and still lives his life. Because my earthly father showed mercy I learned to trust in God’s mercy. Because he was generous and took care of his family I find it easier to trust in God’s provision for my life. His loyalty and faithfulness gave me a glimpse of the faithfulness of my Heavenly Father and made it easier for me to trust God’s Word.
No earthly father is perfect and I’m not suggesting my dad did it all right. But I know just how blessed I am. I know many people who struggle with trusting in and knowing God as their Father because of the example set by their earthly father or the absence of a father figure.
So, thank you Dad for teaching what I needed to know most in life, that I can trust my Abba Father. I love you more than you’ll ever know. I hope you have a Happy Birthday! (And please remember that mercy thing when you realize I just told everyone you turned 70 today!)
Car-Schooling, Claire and Childlike Faith
March 25, 2009 at 7:19 pm (Childlike, Faith, Jesus, Maturing in Christ)
I haven’t posted much this month. March has been busy.
During the first week of March the girls had their home-school evaluations. We took the second week off for spring break and enjoyed the gorgeous Florida weather. We spent the next week recovering from all the fun and the horrendous amounts of pollen in the air which resulted in lots of wheezing and nebulizer breathing treatments for Claire.
This week we’re back to schooling and making the most of the last few weeks of Lent. We’re counting down the days with our family friend, “Miss Jessica, “ as she waits to be Baptized, Confirmed and receive her first Communion at the Easter Vigil. We’re also trying to make it to daily Mass more often. Of course that always results in interesting conversations with the girls. Here’s a scene from the drive home from daily Mass last Thursday.
Scene: I’m behind the wheel patiently 
navigating the snowbird traffic our county is so well-known for at this time of the year (in case you’re wondering I was going the speed limit). The girls are watching an educational DVD on volcanoes. “Car time” is social studies and science time (a.k.a. car-schooling).
Claire: Mom, can you turn down the volume? I have a question.
[Anticipating another question about volcanoes--one to which I probably won't have the answer--I stop myself before saying we'll look that up on the internet too.]
Me: Yes Claire, what is it?
[Long pause]
Claire: Jesus is in heaven right?
Me: (Ok, I can answer that one) Yes.
[Another long pause]
Claire: So if you die and you get to go to heaven then you’ll see Jesus right?
Me: (Wondering where she’s going with this line of thought) Yes.
[Third long pause. Smoke is rising like a volcano from Claire's brain because she's thinking so hard]
Claire: Mom, I think I’d like to die now so that I could go and be with Jesus forever.
[My turn to pause. So, this is childlike faith: No worldly attachments, ambitions, desires or fears–just faith and a longing to be with Jesus.
Me: You know what Claire, I can’t think of any place I’d rather be than with Him.
Jesus, give me the grace to mature and have childlike faith: To believe and trust without reservation and to desire eternity with you more than anything else. Amen
Faithfulness to Your Calling
March 10, 2009 at 11:45 am (Maturing in Christ, henri nouwen)
I received the meditation below via email this morning from the Henri Nouwen Organization . It’s timely and a good follow-up to my last two posts. Both Nouwen and Mother Teresa lived this truth. I pray I will learn to live it as well.
Our Unique Call
So many terrible things happen every day that we start wondering whether the few things we do ourselves make any sense. When people are starving only a few thousand miles away, when wars are raging close to our borders, when countless people in our own cities have no homes to live in, our own activities look futile. Such considerations, however, can paralyse us and depress us.
Here the word call becomes important. We are not called to save the world, solve all problems, and help all people. But we each have our own unique call, in our families, in our work, in our world. We have to keep asking God to help us see clearly what our call is and to give us the strength to live out that call with trust. Then we will discover that our faithfulness to a small task is the most healing response to the illnesses of our time.
Peace of Mind Amid Injustice
March 9, 2009 at 2:01 pm (Maturing in Christ)
I have firm beliefs against abortion and consequently strong feelings about the subject. Last November I found myself troubled with thoughts about how the injustice of abortion would continue and even increase under a pro-abortion Obama presidency. Before the election I sent off a few letters to the editor of our local liberal newspaper (of course, none of them were published). After the election my frustration over the subject peaked. I knew I needed to get a grip when one day, while running on the treadmill at the gym, I found myself holding an imagined debate over Obama’s pro-abortion position with the woman running on the treadmill in front of me who happened to be wearing a “pro-Obama” t-shirt. (Yes, I have the warped mind of a speech and argumentation instructor.) Not only did I debate this complete stranger in my my mind , but, I also found myself judging the heart of this woman I didn’t even know.
Later that week I sat down with my journal and this is what came to me: (It seems appropriate to share given today’s gospel reading from Mass found in the 6th chapter of Luke: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.”)
Why burden your heart with things you cannot control? Why worry, fret and grow angry over things you cannot change — at least things that are not within your direct influence? If your burden leads you to prayer, fasting and acts of love and mercy then by all means it’s a worthy load to carry. But, beware of burdens that consume your thoughts and energy and keep you from doing God’s will with regard to your vocation in life. If you are not careful your righteous anger over injustice can easily become self-righteous indignation, full of condemnation and judgment of things and people over which you are not called to be the final judge. What good to God is a conscience that loves justice but then becomes consumed with anger, pride, condemnation and judgment? What good does it do for your soul or the souls of others? Do what you can to promote truth and work for social justice but do not let your emotions consume you and carry you away from the peace of Christ. Remember this truth: The Lord your God is in control. He is the final judge. He will bring all to account for their lives here on earth.
