From Dynamic Catholic’s Summer of Mercy

 

Spiritual Work of Mercy: Bear wrongs patiently

When it comes to patience, if your goal is to change the person you’ve got the wrong goal.

Newlyweds are more patient…

You’d think after 10+ years you would KNOW them well enough to know, duh, this is what they struggle with!

they don’t clean up after themselves or they forget or they don’t listen well or never hear me the first time I ask  them to do the thing…

If you are not WILLING to be patient, you only want to change someone. And If you only want to change them you will be constantly frustrated.

And, it’s IMPOSSIBLE TO BE PATIENT- when you’re frustrated!!!

When you are angry at the situation you become angry at the person.

Patience means accepting them as they are, both their strengths AND their weaknesses.

If I’m trying to fix someone, I’ll never try to understand..

Understand where they are coming from, what they’re looking for, and why they did that, and it may have nothing to do w me, it Might have nothing to do with me, it might have to do w their weaknesses, their own wounds.

Doesn’t mean what they did is acceptable or condonable,

But it does mean I don’t have to be anxious or frustrated or angry w them for doing something wrong, I can accept and bear those wrongs w patience.

You can watch the full video here: Bear Wrongs Patiently

Bear Wrongs Patiently

Freedom from Resentment

This talk has been extremely convicting for me. I had no idea that I was harboring resentment towards my kids, but all the signs were so clear after listening to this. God is dealing with some BIG stuff in me right now, but He’s doing what He knows He has to do right now to prepare me for what comes next.

 

Freedom from bondage: bitterness

Forgiveness: giving up your right to be angry at someone for hurting you.

Think: what would it be like, to go to work tomorrow, w your hands bound and ball and chain on your feet. It would be hard to do what you set out to do, it would be very difficult to get anything done because your mind would be divided, you’d be hampered all day long.

We were made to walk in freedom!!! But satan paints in attitudes, in our minds in false colours we can’t even see them!

If I’m not willing to look inside ***or am always blaming others for my problems… *** that will be a real problem, but if I am willing to look inside myself maybe I can unconver something. Paul tells us in Ephesians:

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ep 4:31-32)

Bitterness
Resentment- harshness
Clamor- outcry of passion resulting from anger
Wrath- violent outburst of anger.
Slander – injuring others with our words
Malice- intention or desire to injure someone else

God tells us to put that stuff away and have a kind tender-hearted forgiving spirit.

Sometimes we don’t even know, we’re bitter… But we can’t experience the love of God flowing through us because it’s all dammed up!

If you have bitterness you have an attitude towards others and you have this wall, and you keep building the wall to keep you from any further hurts…Bitterness shows in an attitude towards others.So w this bitterness you build up a wall – then you live behind this wall you go to work behind this wall, you fellowship behind this wall, you live in a family behind this wall, because you don’t want to be hurt anymore. And the bitterness and resentment and anger and malice and hostility are the stones that are part of that wall you’ve built to protect yourself from others! So You build this wall to protect yourself, from being hurt.

What is beneath all this?? Unforgiveness. And Just deciding not to be angry and resentful doesn’t work!!!

Satan’s language whispers a cover up- I’m just hurt, disillusioned, frustrated.. Truth is I have an unforgiving spirit, and God wants me to deal w my problem, not them!

Truth is God will never send revival to a person w an unforgiving spirit.

Sometimes we don’t even know… But we can’t experience the love of God flowing through us because it’s all dammed up! w this wall of bitterness Love and life of God can not flow!

Parents will never be able to enjoy their family as long as an unforgiving spirit…

You’ll go through life bound by these attitudes that you allow into your life.

The love of God can’t flow through me: how can I be concerned about the things of God when I’m so focused on just SURVIVING this anger and hostility and frustration swirling within me!!

And even more, When you live w anger and frustration- it drains us emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically!!! When a person is living w anger and bitterness and resentment toward other people, what happens emotionally, is there is a continuous drain. There’s a continuous drain of mental energy. A continual drain of physical energy. — You can never be afraid your peak, you can never be at your very best as long as you have those attitudes dominating in your life.

 

Why don’t we forgive?- 

Why can’t we forgive? That’s just it, if we say we can’t forgive that’s a lie- it means we don’t want to. We can, but why do we think we can not?

1. We’re protecting big ‘I’- somebody has harmed big ‘I’. Someone has intruded upon big ‘I’.

We are selfish… And whenever big ‘I’ is on throne we are being selfish!! We are expressing selfishness.

-I don’t want to be hurt.
-I don’t want to be wronged
-I don’t want to be treated unfairly..
-I have a case against them AND I’m looking for evidence to further support my claim!!!

We do that, we go, looking for more evidence that we are right and they’re wrong!!

Because Jesus  is not on throne if my life, I am trying to protect big ‘I’.  If I’m committed to protecting big ‘I’ how am I going to forgive you?

2. We have a wrong idea of forgiveness

We say forgive you, but we demand JUSTICE!

When you pay off your debt to me then I’ll forgive you. How are they ever going to pay it off ?!?! In our bitterness-The little things get bigger and bigger in our mind!!! So big that not even God could pay off that debt to us…

We have all this anger churning on the inside and were full of all this garbage we ourselves have concocted… and we Expect some kind of payment for wrongs…

Even if the person has wronged you, if you don’t let it go, then you become THEIR prisoner!! If you’re angry in return and hostile and butter to them you have all this binding and churning inside, NOW, they have wounded you verbally or what have you, but they’ve also made you a PRISONER OF THEIR WRONGS and you are suffering as a result.

If my  priority is to protect myself I won’t have a forgiving spirit.

If I expect you to fulfill some set requirements for wronging me that you’re never going to be able to fulfill, I can’t have a forgiving spirit.

People say I just can’t forgive them, it’s a lie from the devil…the truth is it’s not that they can’t, they WON’T.

Because I have to protect big I, how can big ‘I’ be injured like this… How can I be injured like that and then be forgiving (you don’t understand what they did?!) so, I’m going to PROTECT MYSELF because I’m selfish.

Owe no man anything but to love him – Romans 13:8    (that means forgiveness!)

3. A third reason is sometimes They like talking about it- and or they want someone to tell them they’re right in their anger and their sin and their disobedience to God.

Not that they planned it this way, but because they’re deceived, they get their needs met by all this attention of how they have been harmed and wronged in their life…

Repression doesn’t help, Nope, I’m not angry… At them, at God… ( Satan…) You can’t be helped as long as you are repressing and suppressing your anger…

God says, Put these things away!!!

 

Lastly, If you have discovered an attitude of unforgiveness, confess it to Him, and ask him to help you deal w it.

 

 

You can listen to the full talk here: https://www.intouch.org/listen/featured/freedom-from-bondage-part-1

Diamonds

When everything is the hardest, God is making Diamonds🙂

 

Diamonds – Hawk Nelson

[Verse 1]
Here and now I’m in the fire
In above my head
Being held under the pressure
Don’t know what’ll be left
But it’s here in the ashes
I’m finding treasure

[Chorus]
He’s making diamonds, diamonds
Making diamonds out of dust
He is refining in His timing
He’s making diamonds out of us

[Verse 2]
I’ll surrender to the power
Of being crushed by love
Till the beauty that was hidden
Isn’t covered up
Oh it’s not what I hoped for
It’s something much better

[Chorus]
He’s making diamonds, diamonds
Making diamonds out of dust
He is refining in His timing
He’s making diamonds out of us

[Verse 3 (x3)]
Oh the joy of the Lord
It will be my strength
When the pressure is on
He’s making diamonds

[Chorus]
He’s making diamonds, diamonds
Making us rise up from the dust
He is refining in His timing
He’s making diamonds out of dust
Making diamonds out of us

[Outro]
I won’t be afraid to shine
I won’t be afraid to shine
I won’t be afraid to shine
Cause He’s making diamonds out of dust
Making diamonds out of us

 

 

 

Jan 7

Jan 7–on offering things up

This is the day that The Lord has made, and the joy of The Lord is my strength.

~

It’s like a door to a sanctuary w God… The pain, that I would not give up, the wound in my heart that I asked You not to heal, because it brought me so close to You!

That in that broken place, You knew my suffering, and I knew Yours!

~

Changes today…
That I need to be more strict, and firm. With my expectations- just like the teens climbing a mountain etc…Sure you can cry if you want, while you walk up the hill!

The way I speak to them needs to change- not telling them what I I want, but dimly telling them how it is.

There will be no more talking. You are expected to do your work, without complaining…

I’ve been WAY too soft.. Especially w the amount of work I require. They need some serious practice w writing in particular.

~

Savior- offer if up. Tyler’s gum was hurting.

This is what I explained: Sometimes we can’t stop the pain, but whining and fighting just makes us feel worse.
Better to accept, and offer it, to God to use it for good!!!

The problem w resisting is that you can’t offer what you don’t have, if you are fighting the pain, the suffering/ affliction, then you don’t own it- and you can’t offer it.

By receiving it, by saying yes, and accepting it as yours, then you can offer it to Jesus, for souls that are far from Him!

                                                                             ~

Take time to commune w Him- spend time in quiet to listen along w your other prayers…

Clutter: in the name of Jesus, this mountain of clutter will move.🙂 thanks Jesus calling reflection!!

Wow. Rosary, w that reflection, it almost becomes a way of life! A beautiful simple means to reconnect w God, w creation, and w my Creator of love!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflecting- I was telling them to sit quietly… It sounded ugly cause it was the end of the day.
I heard them singing w the nativity figures…
You’re crushing their joy!

 

 

 

God will lift his burden.

I have told him the same, but he feels unworthy

The Father was God through His perfect spouse Mary…
I have been given the strength I prayed for, strength from God, and from you.
The greatest of kings, born in the most Humble of places

More Prayers to Our Lady Undoer of Knots

I thought these were great little prayers!

In addition to the Mary Untier of Knots Novena, there are other prayers associated with this devotion. The most common are the prayer for Personal Troubles, the Prayer for Strengthening of Marriages, and the two Pope Francis prayers to Our Lady Undoer of Knots.

Prayer for Personal Troubles

Mother of fair love, I look to you.

Take into your hands the ribbon of my life,

and see the snarl of knots that keeps me bound

to sin, anxiety, and hopelessness.

I beg you, Mother, by your powerful intercession

and long fingers of love and grace,

undo the knots in my heart and in my life.

Free me to love as Christ loves.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.

Prayer for the Strengthening of Marriages

Blessed Mother, take into your hands

the knots that affect married couples,

and with your long fingers of love and grace

undo these knots for the glory of God.

Visit married couples with your grace;

renew their sacramental covenant,

increase God’s love in them,

and strengthen their bond of peace

so that, with their children,

they may always rejoice in the gift of your blessing.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us

Pope Francis’ prayer to Mary Untier of Knots

Through your grace,

your intercession,

and your example,

deliver us from all evil,

Our Lady, and untie

the knots that

prevent us from being

united with God,

so that we, free

from sin and error,

may find him in all things

may have our hearts

placed in him

and may serve him always

in our brothers and sisters.

Pope Francis’ Prayer to Mary Undoer of Knots (Alternate)

Holy Mary, full of God’s presence during the day of your life, you accepted with full humility the Father’s will, and the devil was never capable of tying you up with his confusion.

Once with your Son you interceded for our difficulties, and full of kindness and patience, you gave us example of how to untie the knots in our life.

By remaining forever Our Mother, you put in order and make more clear the ties that link us to the Lord.

Holy Mother, Mother of God and our Mother, to you who untie with a motherly heart the knots of our life, we pray to you to receive in your hands (the name of the person), and to free him/her of the knots and confusion with which our enemy attacks.

 Through your grace, your intercession and your example deliver us from all evil, Our Lady, and untie the knots that prevent us from being united with God, so that we, free from sin and error, may find Him in all things, may have our hearts placed in Him, and may serve Him always in our brothers and sisters.

Jan 2

It’s been said that to Fail to Plan is to plan to fail. Well maybe not. Rather than figure out how my day needed to go later, I tried just doing the next thing each time. It wasn’t a failure.

But, in discovering what that next right thing is, I find myself wondering what God would say: should I put my kids first or my own needs first, since I can’t give what I don’t have myself. I know I can love so much better when I’m  taking good care of myself. I think it depends on the situation, for there are also times when they interrupt me at something, and the first rule of love says they need my attention.  We all need to practice our patience and our  ability to focus and follow things through to completion though…Rather than stopping midway… For me if I’m interrupted I can get way off track, and even forget to finish things…

Figuring.. … I’m figuring now! Let it go and worry about just that next thing. Not even what’s after the next…
Slow, slow to peace.

I went downtown, for confession I think, and found the church locked.

I sought The Lord, and I could not find Him.. God, I can not find you!
Like a locked church this focus on my way and my thoughts holds me back from God and living in His Presence in the moment.

Figuring – steals peace- and ability to discern!!! My mind is full of  confusion very quickly when I focus on my own understanding.

Stop figuring, and instead  Just BE w the One who has all the answers.

Keep company with Emmanuel!

Jan 1

 
Jan 1

Everything in God’s timing… 

For so long I have had moments and days where I’m constantly trying to work our day out, when I’m consistently trying to figure out the logistics, going over everything again and again in my head until I can see the way though. But, I have a new inspiration, that maybe that is not necessary? Since God is with us and usually only gives light for just the next step, Maybe I can focus on the next thing only, and when LATER has become the next thing, what that step is will be clear as well!
In my journey to Peace… Maybe, I don’t need to figure things out, even the plans for later in the day.. Maybe, I really can do just the one next thing, and leave all the rest!
Lord, show me how to be your precious child, living in freedom! Believing in Your love! ( like a lamb)

A child, who gets to walk through life in peace, because she us not in any way responsible to fix or figure out ANYTHING!
A prayer for now: 
This time next year, May we be more full of love, closer to The Lord and possessing even greater joy!

Peace.
Resting here in mom’s chair, on New Years night , I feel a shift, as if I’ve dropped every burden from 2015, and am walking lighter, free from it all, into this new year. That w grace, I’ve left all that behind. What a load off!