WELCOME HOME

By Lori Carmody

So often I find myself, without even realizing I am doing it, working overtime trying to be a faithful “servant” of God.  When I drill down a bit on my busyness, I realize my image of God is one from childhood where I must be a good little girl who works hard, always trying her best.  When I miss that mark, it will be noted.

As I have grown up my image of God has changed into a much more loving, forgiving, gentler God who simply wants to be in relationship with me.   

Last week Ruth Graham (Billy Graham’s daughter) spoke words that not only rang true for the God I have come to know as an adult but for the God the little girl in me still needs to be reminded of. 

https://ijr.com/2018/03/1072012-billy-graham-daughter-funeral/

Thanks for reading.

Lori

#WelcomeHome  #Forgiveness  #RuthGraham  #Day19

GOD & JUDY GARLAND

By Lori Carmody

When I read this reflection by H.A. Williams, something exploded within me.  I don’t audibly hear the voice of God however sometimes when I am looking at a picture, reading a story, or am listening to a song, I "know that I know" that I need to pay attention to what is in front of me.  It’s as though the Divine has a message for me.

“Among the more unlikely occasions when a fit of awareness came upon me was in the Arts Cinema in Cambridge during the Judy Garland film A Star is Born.  I had gone to the cinema because I felt depressed and defeated.  In the story of the film Judy Garland had tried to make her mark three or four times and had failed completely on each occasion.  So discouraged was she by this succession of failures that she decided to give up all attempts at a stage career.  At this point an oddish somewhat matriarchal woman gave the defeated Judy Garland a lecture on the necessity of perseverance.  The road to success was always strewn with failures, and therefore you had to be in touch and believe in yourself so that you would get up and try again however often you failed.  The words of this matriarchal figure came to me as the voice of God.  They thrilled me.  And in the thrill I was aware of God’s presence with me in the cinema giving me new life and inspiring me with fresh courage…The matriarch’s utterance undoubtedly verged on the corny.  To speak to me deeply and powerfully by means of it seemed to me grotesquely funny.  I couldn’t deny the reality of the experience, but it was precisely its reality which made the occasion of it so hilarious.  There was no knowing where God would explode next.  On my way home I looked about me for somebody to slip on a banana skin. But nobody did.  God, apparently, had exploded enough for one day.”  ~  Some Day I’ll Find You by H. A Williams

Whether the source from where we get our guidance is called God, Yahweh, our Higher Power, energy bigger than ourselves, the Source of all, the Divine or the Universe, H.A. Williams reminds us that “there is no knowing where God will explode next.” 

I believe this is true.  Don't you? 

And yet, in order to “hear” a message, our minds can’t be making plans so far in the future that we aren’t aware of what is actually happening as it happens.  (So often where I live) Nor can we be so caught up in our memories that we lose sight of this day and this moment. 

Present moment awareness is a spiritual practice that one never completes this side of eternity.   But there is is hope!  We can take tiny steps forward each day to improve on our ability to focus on the moment.     

I have been reading Matthew Kelly’s new book Perfectly YOURSELF.  Much of it (so far) is about present moment awareness.  Here is a video from his daily Lenten reflections on the topic.   

https://dynamiccatholic.com/bestlentever/lent-reflections-2018/a-chance-to-turn-it-all-around/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWXpCbVpXWXdZek0zTjJWbSIsInQiOiJwcWNmREVIbG1DZFBMQjk3RTh6OHFySGE4STF6M2tyTHRXQWkrcEQ2czk2XC8wR3liM1YrcEtscVdJd3FEN3J4aDM2OHc2dlwvdzFZVWE0WG91aUZxN2dSb0Z6YXlTTHNLZGRNUWdNSVdXSm5uZEVkbXQ2aHBpUTkyNnkrdjdwM1ZTIn0%3D

There is no knowing where God will explode next.  May we be present in the NOW so we don’t miss the thrill!

Thanks for reading.

Lori

#PresentMoment #Now #PerfectlyYourself #Day18

OBEY IN MARRIAGE & LENT? WHAT???

By Lori Carmody

When we hear words like obey, unselfishness, unconditional love, silence, and patience: I’m guessing that lent comes to mind before marriage even shows up on our radar.  Obey was thrown out of the marriage ceremony decades ago, right?  

Tom and I work with engaged couples at our church.  I would like to share with you an article that we sometimes give to couples we meet with if we are with them around this time of year.

LENT & MARRIAGE … perhaps a new lens to view both.

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/marriage-lent.html

Thanks for reading,

Lori

#Lent  #Marriage  #NewLens  #Cherish  #Day17

BILLY GRAHAM 1918 – 2018

By Lori Carmody 

When I was growing up, there was basically only 3 television stations - channel 4, 5, and 7.  When a Billy Graham Crusade came on TV, it would preempt whatever was on the station and, if we wanted to watch television, that is what we watched. 

Although I was quite young and not Southern Baptist, I clearly remember sitting on the floor in our living room watching Billy Graham preach to stadiums filled to overflow with enthusiastic people.  Sometimes the telecast came to my small living room from somewhere in the United States.  Other times I recall it being from countries far way.  I was stirred both by this eloquent minister’s passion and his message.  Whether Billy Graham was preaching in lofty surroundings such as at Madison Square Gardens or in poor villages in Africa, the theme of the Crusade resonated with my soul ~ God loves you. 

He began his unofficial ministry when he was 16.  His last crusade was in 2004.  Never did his message veer off this theme. 

Evangelist Billy Graham preached in 184 countries.  He also met with presidents, queens (any other Crown watchers out there?), country leaders from all over the world, religious leaders, civil rights activists, actors and regular folk.  

When asked a while back if he had any regrets, this is what he had to say, “If I had to do it over again, I’d spend more time in meditation and prayer telling the Lord how much I love him.”

I believe this giant of a man made the world a better place no matter your religion, race, or creed simply by doing what he was called to do.  Many times he was asked to run for political office and urged to run for President of the United States.  He, of course, never did.  He was steadfast in his conviction that he was called to be a minister of the Word of Jesus Christ for the people of the world.

We may not have the world as our pulpit but, just as surely as Billy Graham, we too are called in some way to make the world a better place by sharing our unique gifts.  All that is required from us is to discern our gifts and to respond to the invitation to share them with our “Yes”. 

As we reflect on the life of Billy Graham, we realize that we have been given a legend to show us how to keep saying “yes” to service throughout a lifetime. 

                                              THANK YOU, BILLY GRAHAM
Thanks for reading, 
Lori

#BillyGraham  #Crusades  #Legion  #GodLovesYou  #Day16  

APPRENTICE? ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

By Lori Carmody     

There are as many reasons that people turn to violence as there are solutions that we can consider in our quest to heal them and our world.  Although some of us feel the answers are simple, I believe we need to look at as many solutions as we can and bring to the table all the best we have to offer to support people physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. 

Along with the issues of what gun control measures we may want to legislate and what mental health programs we may want to fund, I suggest many other support networks need to come together to make fragile people whole again.

One small but not insignificant program that a friend told me about (thank you, Debra) is called APPRENTICESHIP CAREER PATHS.  I have to wonder if a program for students that may feel that college is not for them and, perhaps, have felt as though they are like square pegs in a round hole in middle and high school, may find a home in a program such as this.  Imagine the difference it could make in the emotional welfare of the student not to mention helping out the companies that need qualified workers.  Win/win. 

This Ted Talk is about 15 min long.  I encourage you to learn about the program and forward it to anyone that you think may find it helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z3Fgtj8fqk

I further encourage you to open your mind and your heart to the vast possibilities of options we have to help those who are in our circle that may need a helping hand.  I look forward to hearing your ideas as together we all imagine many ways to reach out to support and heal our brothers and sisters. 

Thanks for reading.

Lori

#ApprenticeshipCareerPaths  #Apprentice  #Working  #Day15

CRUSADE: JOY

By Lori Carmody

Yesterday, the ladies of my church had a bridal shower for this beloved one. 

To share Jill's JOY was such an honor for me.  Pus, to spend the afternoon in conversation with this circle of beautiful women who cherish relationship, faith and humor, fed my body (delicious food), mind (stirring conversation) and spirit (laughing out loud). 

In a world that seems to be consumed these days with finger pointing and finding fault with one another, it was a delight to be in the sacred space of ENJOYMENT. 

Our world can use a LITTLE SLICE OF JOY, don’t you agree? 

This week, how can each one of us 
nurture such a place of JOY 
for ourselves and perhaps for others?  
I invite us to CHOOSE JOY 
even if in the simplest of ways.  
We will be making our week 
and the world a better place.   
I promise. 
Thanks for reading.

Lori

#DoOneThing  #Joy  #TeamJill  #Day 14

THOUGHTS & PRAYERS, THEN ACTION

By Lori Carmody

I keep seeing this posted on social media.  Every time I do, I am mystified. 

It seems to me that BEFORE we make POLICY and CHANGES of any kind, we need to THINK things through and have PRAYERFUL DISCERNMENT about what the best ACTION needs to be.  Only AFTER both of these important steps – THOUGHT AND PRAYER – do we THEN do the necessary steps of making decisions on our will to take ACTIONS which will bring out POLICIES that will impact lives for the better and CHANGE that isn’t just another law on the books but CHANGE that will impact the WORLD. 

In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr, “Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking.  There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions.  Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

THOUGHTS engage our minds.

PRAYERS engage our hearts.

ACTIONS engage our guts.

Intelligence of ALL THREE ~ head, heart and gut  ~ bring forth balance in our response.

Am I mistaken?  How I see it is that we need a balanced response of THOUGHTS, PRAYERS AND ACTIONS for a WORLD where FREEDOM AND PEACE have the final word.

Thanks for reading,

Lori

#ThoughtsPrayersActions  #HardSolidThinking  #TruePeace  #Day13