Thursday, March 18th, 2021

🔘 praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent

🔘 worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving

🔘 something that secures praise or renown

🔘 a distinguished quality or asset

🔘 a state of great gratification or exaltation

🔘 a height of prosperity or achievement

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• God’s glory: the right glory that leads to life.

• Human glory: the vain glory that leads to death.

I got the idea of the stairs from reading the devotional today, Henri Nouwen shared his thoughts of upward and downward mobility regarding glory. Jesus lived his life as he would want us to live, by helping and serving the lost, the poor, the sick, and the outcasts. Jesus came to seek the lost and save the sinner.

Every time Jesus speaks about being glorified and giving glory, he always refers to his humiliation and death. It is through this way of the cross that Jesus gives glory to God, received glory from God, and makes God’s glory known to us. The glory of the resurrection can never be separated from the glory of the cross. The risen Lord always shows us his wounds.”(1).

“Thus the glory of God stands in contrast to the glory of people. People seek glory by moving upward. God reveals his glory by moving downward. If we truly want to see the glory of God, we must move downward with Jesus. This is the deepest reason for living in solidarity with poor, oppressed, and handicapped people. They are the ones through whom God’s glory can manifest itself to us. They show us the way to God, the way to salvation.”(2).

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” —Luke 19:10 NIV

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” —Luke 5:32 NIV

Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Difficult Prayers – Day 26

In Matthew 5:43, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. A simple but transformative reminder for yourself is: God loves my enemies the same as God loves me.

Prayer

How often have I lived through these weeks

without paying much attention

to penance, fasting, and praying?

How often have I missed

the spiritual fruits of this season

without even being aware of it?

But how can I ever really celebrate Easter

without observing Lent?

How can I rejoice fully in your resurrection

when I have avoided participating in your death?

Yes, Lord, I have to die —

with you, through you, and in you —

and thus become ready to recognize you

when you appear to me in your resurrection.

There is so much in me that needs to die:

false attachments, greed and anger,

impatience and stinginess

O Lord, I am self-centered,

concerned about myself, my career, my future,

my name and future, my name and fame.

I see clearly now how little I have died with you,

Really gone your way and been faithful to it.

O Lord, make this Lenten season

different from the other ones.

Let me find you again.

~Amen.

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 93, paragraph 1.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 93, paragraph 2.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://www.merriam-webster.com/

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation

🍀 Wednesday, March 17th, 2021 ☘️

Dear friends and family — Happy St. Patrick’s Day and thank you for stopping by my blog today. I am later than usual in posting because I wanted to ponder the words that Henri Nouwen shared in the devotional book I’m reading. His words helped to paint a picture of what he calls, “All-Embracing Love.” It describes the relationship of God, the Father and Jesus, the Son of God embodied in an all-embracing love; a divine person, a coequal with the Father and the Son, and has a personal name. It is the Holy Spirit. “The Father loves the Son and pours himself out in the Son. The Son is loved by the Father and returns all he is to the Father. The Spirit is love itself, eternally embracing the Father and the Son.”(1). What a beautiful image! I found the following picture contained in an article about “God in Three Persons,” at https://www.christianity.com/god/trinity/god-in-three-persons-a-doctrine-we-barely-understand-11634405.html

Jesus came so we could be saved through his life, death and resurrection. He lived his life to be an example to each of us on how to live, live a spiritual life. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journeys. We can never fully understand the meaning of the all-embracing love, the perfect love that between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit but that should not deter us from trying and pursuing it. I, myself feel overwhelmed when I think of an all-embracing love and extending it to the world. This sensation causes me to “miss the single significant tree because all I see is a forest!” I believe the individual calling for most of us is to take notice of the single, small and specific things in life (trees) (people) (causes), etc., I am a believer that small things lead to big things. Remember, it only takes a spark to get a fire going. Be the spark, trust in God for the rest.

“We will never understand the full meaning of Jesus’ richly varied ministry unless we see how the many things are rooted in the one thing: listening to the Father in the intimacy of perfect love. When we see this, we will also realize that the goal of Jesus’ ministry is nothing less than to bring us into the most intimate community.”(2)

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20 NIV

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Memorize – Day 25

What scripture do you want to hold close to guide you today and in the future? Write it down and repeat it throughout the day. You can even set a timer on your phone as a reminder.

❇️ Prayer ❇️

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 89-90, paragraph 2, 1 respectively.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 90, paragraph 2.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://www.christianity.com/god/trinity/god-in-three-persons-a-doctrine-we-barely-understand-11634405.html

https://www.the1thing.com/blog/family-health-happiness/st-patricks-one-thing/

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation

Tuesday, March 16th, 2021

— John 5:14 —

“Jesus met him in the Temple and said, ‘Now you are well again, do not sin any more.”

Hello friends—

Pray is communicating with God and when we offer every part of ourselves to God it keeps our hearts close to God. I know that when I try to “handle” things on my own, my heart gets very heavy, my spirit gets weighed down and my emotions often are erratic. I think sometimes we make prayer too complicated, and that is not (my opinion) what Jesus had in mind when he was teaching the disciples to prayer.

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:5-8 (NRSVA)

When we seek God and tell him our cares, concerns, joys, fears, sins, even our questions and doubts; he welcomes them all. I have no doubts concerning the answers to prayers. I may not like or want the answer I get due to my our stubbornness but God knows best.

🔘 Have you ever been disappointed in a response you received from your prayers?

🔘 Have friends every disappointed you?

🔘 What was your response to these events?

What I have learned and continue to learn is people will disappoint. I know that I have disappointed friends, family and partners, not necessarily on purpose but things happened. Sometimes we have been able to talk and resolve the issue. There have also been times when, things just could not be worked out; during these times I felt like I was the biggest loser to every walk on the planet earth! An exaggeration, perhaps but that’s how I felt and it was real to me. I give too much power away instead of caring for myself from time to time. Sometimes, I think I’m irreplaceable only to find out … well yes I am! A lesson or two I’ve learned the hard way. Foolish pride rears it’s ugliness when left unattended. If I had spent more time in prayer, giving my cares over to God and keeping my heart open and close to God’s; I might have missed some of life’s hardest lessons.

Here’s a good example of my not so stellar humanness. When I was in high school, my best friend and I had a disagreement and we stopped talking to one another, we were outside playing softball and she was running the bases and I threw the ball and totally hit her squarely in the back of her head, this was purely by accident but I was crushed. I thought I had killed her or at least seriously hurt her. I cried and cried, I was inconsolable. I was embarrassed and ashamed of myself and thought this must be punishment for not treating my friend well. I made the whole situation about me! I had no place for God in this incident whatsoever. I was about 14 or 15 when this happened, everything is huge at that age! In hindsight I can see this for what it really was, an accident. But this event made a major impact on my life. God continue to show me grace and mercy, not because I deserve it but because he loves me.

I continue to make mistakes, i make them every day. I know I’m not perfect, though I do pursue it. I mess up every day, the excuse and truth of the matter is I am human and I am sinful. Also true is you and I are loved by God, our Creator! God knows us and loves us, he longs to hear from us every day, every hour of every day…always in connection with you and me. ✝️🙏🏻🛐 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NRSVA)

Nouwen says this about prayer; “Prayer heals. Not just the answer to prayer. When we give up our competition with God and offer God every part of our heart, holding back nothing at all, we come to know God’s love for us and discover how safe we are in his embrace.”(1)

“Now I know that it is not I who pray but the spirit of God who prays in me. Indeed, when Gods glory dwells in me, there is nothing too far away, nothing too painful, nothing too strange or too familiar that cannot contain and renew by its touch. Every time I recognize the glory of God in me and give it space to manifest itself to me, all that is human can be brought there and nothing will be the same again. Once in a while I just know it: Of course, God heard my prayers. He himself prays in me and touches the whole world with his love right here and now.”

— Henri J. M. Nouwen (2)

▶️ an address (such as a petition) to God in word or thought

▶️ a set order of words used in praying

▶️ an earnest request or wish

▶️ the act or practice of praying to God

▶️ one that prays

— Matthew 6:9-15 NRSVA —

Pray then in this way:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not bring us to the time of trial,

but rescue us from the evil one.

For if you forgive others their trespasses,

your heavenly Father will also forgive you;

but if you do not forgive others,

neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

🟪🔷🟪🔷🟪🔷🟪🔷🟪🔷🟪🔷🟪🔷🟪

Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Say Thanks – Day 24

We receive help from others in big and small ways all the time. Who has helped you along the way? Write a letter of thanks to someone who has made a difference in your life.

🌟Prayer 🌟

O Lord Jesus Christ,

you who forgive the sins of the paralytic

before you let him walk again,

I pray that [this Lenten period] may make me more

aware of your forgiving presence in my life

and less concerned about performing well in the eyes of the world.

Let me recognize you

at the virginal point in the depth of my heart

where you dwell and heal me.

Let me experience you in that center of my being

from which you want to teach and guide me.

Let me know you as my loving brother

who holds nothing —

not even my worst sins —

against me,

but who wants to touch me in a gentle embrace.

Take away the many fears, suspicions, and doubts

by which I prevent you from being my Lord,

and give me the courage and freedom to appear naked and vulnerable

in the light of your presence,

confident in your in fathomable mercy.

I know how great my resistance is,

how quickly I choose the darkness instead of the light.

But I also know that you keep calling me into the light,

where I can see not only my sins

but your gracious face as well.

Be with me every hour of my days.

Praise and glory to you, now and forever.

~ Amen

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 86, paragraph 1.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 87, paragraph 2.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation

Dear friends and family—

I am overcome with gratitude for the love I’ve received since starting my blog. Today, I reached a milestone of 500 followers. God is good! Thank you all for your love and support!!

~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

Sunday, March 14th, 2021

Welcome friends to the Fourth Sunday of Lent 2021! Today I will be sharing from Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton and some of my own thoughts about the heart of things. Please bear with me as I begin this post with some direct quotes from Henri Nouwen and a couple of word definitions.

💜 1 Samuel 16:7 💜

“God does not see as human beings see; they look at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart.”

The secular or false self is the self which is fabricated, as Thomas Merton says, by social compulsions. “Compulsive” is indeed the best adjective for the false self. It points to the need for ongoing and increasing affirmation.(1)

COMPULSION: an irresistible persistent impulse to perform an act; the act itself

SOCIAL: of, relating to, or based on rank or status

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Who am I? I am the one who is liked, praised, admired, disliked, hated, or despised.(2)

The compulsion manifests itself in the lurking fear of failing and the steady urge to prevent this by gathering more of the same–more work, more money, more friends.(3)

These very compulsions are at the basis of the two main enemies of the spiritual life: anger and greed. They are the inner side of a secular life, the sour fruits of our worldly dependencies.(4)

Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self. (5)

Our heart is at the center of our being human. There our deepest thoughts, intuitions, emotions, and decisions find their source. But it’s also there that we are often most alienated from ourselves. We know little or nothing of our own heart. We keep our distance, as though we were afraid of it. What is most intimate is also what frightens us most. Where we are most ourselves, we are often strangers to ourselves. That is the painful part of our being human. We fail to know our hidden center; and so we live and die often without knowing who we really are. If we ask ourselves why we think, feel, and act in such and such a way, we often have no answer, thus proving to be strangers in our own house.(6)

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The heart is the very center of both our physical life and our spiritual life.

Our physical heart is at the center of our circulatory system, which is a network of blood vessels that delivers blood to every part of our bodies. Blood carries oxygen and other important nutrients that all our organs need to stay healthy and to work properly.

Our spiritual heart nourishes the soul and provides understanding and illumination to us in the form of intuition through which God interacts with us.

The greatest piece of advice I want to share with you is this…take the time to know yourself. It is so easy to fall prey to the false images of ourselves. I can tell you from experience that living a life that is someone else’s idea of who you are; is an empty and lonely existence. Do not pretend to be someone or something you are not. I have traveled through a season or two of my life seeking the approval of others, only to find it superficial and meaningless. I have tried being who I thought others wanted me to be and it felt just awful. It has taken some time, patience and self acceptance but if God created me with purpose and intention who am I to question him. I accept that not everyone will like me or see my worthiness and that’s ok, I know God loves me and has blessed me with some really incredible friends. Friends who love me for who I am, not for the car I drive, what school I graduated from, the clothes I wear, etc…

Just as our physical bodies need balanced nutrition, our spiritual lives, our souls needs proper nutrition too. We can feed our soul in so many wonderful ways, such as reading our Bibles, attending Bible studies, going to Church, sharing our faith with friends, family and even strangers. We can smile, open doors (literally/metaphorically), pray, take pictures, walk through a park observing God’s creation, etc… Don’t you see that God is ever present in all we do, we need only to open the eyes our hearts to see him.

You are relevant, spectacular and powerful; no matter what the world says because you are a child of God and he loves you with an everlasting love.

Do not be a stranger to yourself, seek to be your authentic self. Love and embrace your uniqueness. Invite Jesus into your heart and place your trust in him. Lord, open the eyes of our hearts so that we will see you. 💟

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Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Silence – Sunday 4

Find a quiet place, close your eyes and let your thoughts go. As that come to you, imagine that they are floating by you on a river. Let them go.

~ Prayer ~

Almighty God,

your eternal word is the true light

that enlightens every human being

Heal the blindness of our hearts,

that we may discern what is right

and love you sincerely.

— Amen

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 81,paragraph 1.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 81, paragraph 1.

(3) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 81, paragraph 1.

(4) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 81, paragraph 2.

(5) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 81-82, paragraph 4 and 1 respectively.

(6) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 82, paragraph 2.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/122887/the-way-of-the-heart-by-henri-jm-nouwen/9780345463357/excerpt

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation

Monday, March 15th, 2021

— John 4:46-50 —

“He went again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum; hearing that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judaea, he went and asked him to come and cure his son, as he was at the point of death. Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and portents you will not believe!’ ‘Sir,’ answered the official, ‘come down before my child dies.’ ‘Go home,’ said Jesus, ‘your son will live.’ The man believed what Jesus had said and went on his way home.”

Painting: Healing the royal official’s son by Joseph-Marie Vien, 1752.

Current location: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Marseille; Marseille, France

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Hello and welcome—

In his book, Henri Nouwen talks about, “the descending way of Jesus” and “the descending love of God.” I have spent time visualizing these two phrases and want to share my thoughts about them from my limited perspective.

The Descending Way of Jesus

Jesus, being fully divine became fully human. He was born to a virgin and was raised by his parents, Mary & Joseph. Jesus experience life just as natural as you and I. Jesus knew the highs and lows of pain and joy. He loved us so much, he became human, to be present with humanity and to give us eternal life.

The Descending Love of God

God loved his creation so much he gave his one and only son for the redemption of all humanity. God gave us Jesus so we can learn from him because Jesus lived and died a human, experiencing all the emotions that it entails, Jesus being fully human and fully divine defeated death. God is our God, the God of the living.(1).

➡️ firm belief in something for which there is no proof

➡️ complete trust

➡️ without question

➡️ belief and trust in and loyalty to God

🔽⬇️⏬🔽⬇️⏬🔽⬇️⏬🔽⏬⬇️🔽⏬⬇️

Our anchor verse today we read about faith, the faith of a father for the healing of his son. Faith is not just something to simple shrug off as, “I don’t understand this” so I’ll believe it for now. To me, that sounds more like making a “wish” and crossing your fingers in hopes it is true. Or possibly waging a bet in hopes things work out in my favor. Faith can include, “I don’t understand” but in my humble opinion it’s so much more. Nouwen explains faith this way, “when Jesus talks about faith, he means first of all to trust unreservedly that we are loved, so that we can abandon every false way of obtaining love.”(2). The Bible tells us very clearly that God loved us first in, 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” (NRSVA). The Bible goes on to tell us that we cannot save ourselves; “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” -Ephesians 2:8-9 (NRSVA). As I shared a few days ago, my moment of conversion was an action of faith, I did not fully understand ever aspect of what it meant to be a Christian; but I did see the positivity in the lives of my friends and their families. I wanted what they had! Accepting Jesus as your Savior is not about a life of ease, without pain or hardship but it is filled with peace, love and understanding deep within your soul. I would not lie to you, life has struggles some are of our own making, others are learning curves. God never wants us to suffer, he feels our pains and will be with us every step of our journeys. It’s never easy to admit when we make mistakes or to ask for forgiveness, but it is good for the soul. I have been doing my share of asking for forgiveness this week, and I’ve learned you’re never too old to learn new ways of seeing the world. Some days I’m a half full glass kind of girl and others, half empty. And some days, I can’t even find the glass! It’s about perspective to include which side of the street you’re standing. I am a firm believer in learning and growing and I have to say, I might be having a growth spurt. I am reminded that I have been forgiven by God for a multitude of offenses and I too must forgive others as well as myself and to preserve. Ephesians 4:32, “Be generous to one another, sympathetic, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ.”

In the divine womb of God, life is always born again. . . . The truly good news is that God is not a distant God, a God to be feared and avoided, a God of revenge, but a God who is moved by our pains and participates in the fullness of the human struggle.(3).

“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”
— Robert Muller

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Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Speak Kindness – Day 23

Refrain from gossip and other unkind words. Only speak what is positive today. Bonus: add a quarter to a giving jar if you say something negative.

✝️ Prayer ✝️

INTEGRITY and generosity are marks of Yahweh

for he brings sinners back to the path.

JUDICIOUSLY he guides the humble,

instructing the poor in his way.

ADORATION I offer, Yahweh,

to you, my God.

— Amen

— Psalm 25:8, 9, 10

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 84, paragraph 1.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 84, paragraph 1.

(3) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 84-85, paragraph 2, 1 respectively.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation

Saturday, March 13th, 2021

— Hosea 6:1-2 —

“Come, let us return to Yahweh. He has rent us and he will heal us; he has struck us and he will bind up our wounds;”

Hello friends and family —

“Living a spiritual life requires a change of heart, a conversion.”(1). After reading these words from Henri Nouwen in the devotional for today, I was reminded of my own conversion. I had a longing to have the “peace” that I saw in my best friend and the love she shared with her family. I was 15 years old, when I ask to speak with a pastor about making my personal decision to follow Jesus, ask him to save me. Conversions are sometimes clear and sudden, I’ve seen individuals moved by the Spirit during Sunday services and Revival meeting. I have also witnessed and in my case experienced the longer, quiet transformation in accepting Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. As far back as I can remember I have attended Sunday school, church, youth groups and VBS, it was a natural progression when I verbalized my desire to formally ask Jesus to save me.

Living a spiritual life means your life is forever changed. This change is seen and lived out in different ways, the roads we travel and our journeys may vary greatly from one another but the destination for all is to be with the Father in heaven for all eternity. Salvation is not a promised life of no trials, temptations, or struggles. There will be joy; Joy that can only be seen through the eyes of the redeemed. God’s word tells us that life will not always be easy, and it will be worth it. I can say with complete honesty that sometimes learning the hard lessons in life are necessary for our own understand. It is through difficult times, we gain the wisdom necessary to share the love of God with others. It is our steadfastness during difficult times, that allows us to experience such depths of God’s love for us and all his children.

I loved the last paragraph by Henri Nouwen, “Poverty, pain, struggle anguish, agony, and even inner darkness may continue to be a part of our experience. They may even be God’s way of purifying us. But life is no longer boring, resentful, depressing, or lonely because we have come to know that everything that happens is part of our way to the house of the Father. (2).

Updated:

After posting my blog, God spoke to me through an email I received and I just felt the need to include it for each of you.

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Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Color – Day 22

We can connect with God when we’re doing something that doesn’t use our full concentration like coloring. Color a mandala or search out other meaningful coloring pages.

~ Prayer ~

O Lord, this holy season of Lent is passing quickly.

I entered into it with fear,

but also with great expectations.

I hoped for a great breakthrough,

a powerful conversion, a real change of heart;

I wanted Easter to be a day so full of light

that not even a trace of darkness

would be left in my soul.

But I know that you do not come to your people

with thunder and lightning.

Even St. Paul and St. Francis

journeyed through much darkness

before they could see your light.

Let me be thankful for your gentle way.

I know you are at work.

I know you will not leave me alone.

I know you are quickening me for Easter—

but in a way fitting to my own history

and my own temperament.

I pray that these last three weeks,

in which you invite me to enter more fully

into the mystery of your passion,

will bring me a greater desire to follow you

on the way that you create for me

and to accept the cross that you give to me.

Let me die to the desire

to choose my own way and select my own cross.

You do not want to make me a hero

but a servant who loves you.

Be with me tomorrow and in the days to come,

and let me experience your gentle presence.

— Amen

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 78, paragraph 1.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 78-79, paragraph 2, 1 respectively.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

Mandalas for Beginners: An Easy and Simple Mandala Coloring Book for Beginners, for fun, relaxation or Meditation https://www.amazon.com/dp/1093735694/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_NTNA1V52TRM29T4MF26F

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation

Friday, March 12th, 2021

Greetings and Happy Friday! 🌻☀️

— Mark 12:30 —

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”

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Henri Nouwen says, “ To live spiritual life is to live in the presence of God.”

Mr. Nouwen references a book called, “The Practice of the Presence of God,” by Brother Lawrence, a French Carmelite brother who lived in the seventeenth century.(1). I felt a sense of familiarity after reading some of his quotes found here: https://www.goodreads.com/

The words of Brother Lawrence are straightforward, simple and yet filled with profound depth. Love is essential for our spiritual lives, it is central for being within “The Presence of God.” Love means embracing God, opening and emptying our hearts, so that God can fill our hearts. I did some research on my own regarding our verse for today, which says, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength,” and I found 11 other verses similar to it, I think that is very relevant to living with “The Presence of God.”

Deuteronomy 6:5, “You must love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength.”

Deuteronomy 10:12, “And now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God ask of you? Only this: to fear Yahweh your God, to follow all his ways, to love him, to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and all your soul.”

Deuteronomy 11:13, “Depend on it: if you faithfully obey the commandments I enjoin on you today, loving Yahweh your God and serving him with all your heart and all your soul.”

Deuteronomy 13:4, “…you must not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer’s dreams. Yahweh your God is testing you to know if you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and all your soul.”

Deuteronomy 30:6, “Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, so that you will love Yahweh your God with all your heart and soul, and so will live.”

Joshua 22:5, “But take great care to practise the commandments and the Law which Moses, servant of Yahweh, has given you: to love Yahweh your God, always to follow his paths, to keep his commandments, to be loyal to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

1 Samuel 7:3, “Samuel then spoke as follows to the whole House of Israel, ‘If you are returning to Yahweh with all your heart, banish the foreign gods and Astartes which you now have, and set your heart on Yahweh and serve him alone; and he will deliver you from the power of the Philistines.”

Matthew 22:37, “Jesus said to him, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

Mark 12:30, “…and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Mark 12:33, “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.”

Luke 10:27, “He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.”

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It is not necessary for being with GOD to be always at church; we may make an oratory of our heart, wherein to retire from time to time, to converse with Him in meekness, humility, and love. Every one is capable of such familiar conversation with GOD, some more, some less: He knows what we can do.

— Brother Lawrence

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That all things are possible to him who believes, that they are less difficult to him who hopes, they are more easy to him who loves, and still more easy to him who perseveres in the practice of these three virtues.

— Brother Lawrence

“To live in the presence of God, however, is to live with purity of heart, with simple mindedness, and with total acceptance of his will. That, indeed, demands a CHOICE, a DECISION, and great COURAGE. It is a sign of true holiness.” — Henri J. M. Houwen

Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Sustain – Day 21

Write a note of thanks to those who work to keep us healthy (doctors, nurses, etc.). Your words of thanks and appreciation will sustain them through difficult times.

🙏🏻 Prayer 🙏🏻

Dear Lord, you once said,

“The will of the him who sent me

is that I should lose nothing

of all that he has given to me.”

These words are a source of consolation this day.

They show that you are doing all that can be done

to keep me in your love.

They demonstrate that indeed

you entered this world to save me,

to free me from the bonds of evil and sin,

and to lead me to your Father’s house.

They reveal that you are willing

to struggle against the strong powers

which pull me away from you.

Lord, you want to keep me, hold onto me,

fight for me, protect me, help me, support me,

comfort me, and present me to your Father.

It indeed is your divine task not to lose me!

And yet I am free.

I can separate myself from you,

and you will never take this freedom away from me.

Oh, what a wonder of love,

what a mystery of divine grace!

Please, Lord, let me freely choose for your love

so that I will not be lost to you.

— Amen

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 76paragraph 1.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

Brother Lawrence: The Practice of the Presence of God the Best Rule of a Holy Life, Being …

https://www.learnreligions.com/biography-of-brother-lawrence-5070341

https://www.goodreads.com/

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation

Thursday, March 11th, 2021

Luke 11:23

“Anyone who is not with me is against me; and anyone who does not gather in with me throws away.”

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Greeting everyone, thank you for visiting today. The topic of today’s devotional is “spiritual life.” Spiritual life is a gift from the Holy Spirit, our guide to the Kingdom of God and God’s love. (1). In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul the Apostle wrote these words, “Since you have been raised up to be with Christ, you must look for the things that are above, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on things above, not on the things that are on the earth.”

“We must look for the things above,” now that sounds a lot like setting a goal and an objective to reach for. Following Jesus takes discipline, a spiritual life without discipline is impossible. Discipline is the other side of discipleship. (2).

Just about anything worthwhile takes discipline and hard work. Just the every day things one does requires some planning and practice. I set an alarm every night to wake me for my job, I plan my meals ahead of time which requires making a grocery list. Even to drive my car to work every day takes discipline to follow the laws mandated; speed, seatbelt, lane association with traffic. Just as important as all those things are, being disciplined in my spiritual life is even more vital. When I feel distanced from God, I feel uneasy. But staying in sync with God is sometimes hard, I fall away, not intentionally but nonetheless I falter. One day without praying or reading my Bible quickly becomes two, three and do on. Our humanness tries to convince us that God left us, must the Israelites did when the were wondering in the desert for so many years. No! God never leaves us, it is totally us, who stumble and fall. I don’t share this to make you feel negatively about yourself or even myself, it is simply the truth. Truth often hurts because deep down we know it to be true but we still avoid it like a plague or pandemic. The Good News of Jesus is we are always welcomed back home, clean slate, mistakes and sins forgiven. And the road to reconciliation with our God is listening for God’s voice. Praying is not a one way only communication, absolutely God is interested in hearing from us but equally, God wants to give us everything we need to live a life pleasing to him. We need only to listen. Without noticing, our ears and heart are cluttered with the chaotic noises of this world and we no longer recognize God’s voice. Finding time and space where we can shut out the noise of the world around us will provide fertile ground for the Holy Spirit to teach us and God can speak to us.

A spiritual discipline sets us free to pray or, to say it better, allows the Spirit of God to pray in us.(3). ~Peace to you my friends.

• Absurd

Both surd and its more common cousin absurd come from the Latin word surdus,meaning “unhearing, deaf, muffled, or dull.”

• Obedient

The word listen in Latin is audire. If we listen with full attention in which we are totally geared to listen, it’s called ob-audire, and that’s where the word obedience comes from. Jesus is the obedient one. That means he is total ear, totally open to the love of God. And if we are closed, and to the degree that we are closed, we are surdus. That is the Latin word for deaf. The more “deaf” we get, the more absurdus

Henri J. M. Nouwen, A Spirituality of Living: The Henri Nouwen Spirituality Series

Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Buy Less – Day 20

When we can buy with a click of a button, it’s easy not to pause and think. Take a day to refrain from purchasing anything unless it’s truly needed.

Pray

Almight God,

grant that we may heed the call of your grace

and ready ourselves all the more fervently

to celebrate the mysteries of Easter,

as the feast of our redemption comes closer and closer.

— Amen

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 73, paragraph 1.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 73, paragraph 1.

(3) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 74, paragraph 2.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/3353011-the-word-listen-in-latin-is-audire-if-we-listen

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation

Wednesday, March 10th, 2021

Hello friends, welcome and thanks for stopping by my blog. Today my devotional will include words like; memory, spirit and saintliness.

❇️ Deuteronomy 4:9 ❇️

“But take care, as you value your lives! Do not forget the things which you yourselves have seen, or let them slip from your heart as long as you live; teach them, rather, to your children and to your children’s children.”

▪️ Saintliness is a quality of being so virtuous that you’re almost too good to be true. In a literal sense, saintliness describes the quality of a saint, someone considered to be holy by a particular religion. This word is also apt for anyone who is extremely good and kind.

▪️ Memory is the power to retain and recall information and past experiences. Your brain’s memory helps you recall lots of memories — like multiplication tables and bad dates. The word memory applies to both the individual facts and experiences you remember as well as the brain’s ability to contain it all.

▪️ Spirit comes from the Latin word for “breath,” and like breath, spirit is considered a fundamental part of being alive. Some people think of the spirit as a presence that’s separate from the body, which is why spirit is another word for ghost. We also use spirit to mean “the general mood or intent. The spirit is also in reference to the Holy Spirit of God.

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John 16:7,13 (NIV)

“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Henri Nouwen writes this about memory, “Jesus reveals (in the verse from above) to his closest friends that only in memory will real intimacy with him be possible, that only in memory will they experience the full meaning of what they have witnessed. (1). Jesus’ friends/disciples listened to his words when he spoke of his death and resurrection, but their ears and eyes remained closed and did not understand. (2)[paraphrased]. It was only after Jesus had gone, ascended to heaven did his true spirit reveal itself to them. The divine revelation is that God entered into intimacy with us not only by Jesus’ coming, but also by his leaving. It is in the absence that our intimacy, our connection to God is so profound. We can now understand as Jesus’ friends and disciples understood and can say that his Spirit dwells in us, with us and all around us. Indeed, he is food and drink for the soul. (3)[paraphrased].

After, reading the entirety of Nouwen’s devotional for today, memories of my mom flooded my mind. My mom passed away nearly eight years ago and I am still learning lessons from her today. Many lessons could only be realized in her absence. I leaned upon my mom for advice and although we were always close as mother/daughter, we were also in the midst of a true adult friendship and I miss her so much. She never failed to love and support me in all my endeavors. She was always my biggest fan. I loved her deeply and after she passed, I realized just how profoundly I loved her. It’s true, you what they say about missing someone…

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”—Theodor Seuss Geisel

By no means am I comparing Jesus and my mom, but I can say with certainty I understand the intimacy part more fully now. Sadly, I admit I did not always listen well when my mom was here with me, and I have wished for her presence on many occasions. I miss her and I am thankful for everything she taught me. I am very blessed. God is good, God is always good.

“Her absence from is like the sky, spread over everything.” ~C.S. Lewis

The redemptive events of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is life giving memories, they sustain and nurture us and gives us the firm faith foundation we need as we traverse through this earthly life, it’s daily events and the many crises of our lives. (4).

Jesus is the Truth, the Way and the Life!

— John 14:6 —

Saintliness is living without division between word and action. In Jesus no division existed between his words and his actions, between what he said and what he did. His words were his actions, his words were events. He not only spoke about changes, cures, and new life but actually created them. Jesus is the Word made flesh; in that Word all was created and by that Word all is recreated. (5). John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”

Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Prayerful Encounters – Day 19

Pray for others you encounter in your day – whether you know them or not. Did you pray for someone unexpected?

▫️ Prayer ▫️

We give thanks to you, God,

we give thanks to you,

as we call upon your name,

as we recount your wonders.

But I shall speak out for ever,

shall make music for the God of Jacob.

— Psalm 75:1, 9

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 70, paragraph 1.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 70, paragraph 2.

(3) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 71, paragraph 1.

(4) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 71, paragraph 2.

(5) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 71, paragraph 3, 4 respectively.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://www.vocabulary.com/

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation