Looking Back!

I've been reading my previous posts and find that I haven't been to Sunday mass in quite awhile now. This isn't a good thing, I know, and I'm not about to give up....no way! The Lord has blessed me abundantly and in a much older post I wrote about not receiving an answer to one of my long held requests in prayer. I'm happy to say that I've received an answer and although it's not fully presented itself as yet, I'm well on my way to fulfillment and I know it's from Jesus, my Lord and my Saviour.

I will continue to try my best to live as the Lord would want me to and to get back to Mass as I know this is important above all else. So, dear readers, if you're out there, please pray for me and I will pray for you and your intentions as well!

Counting Our Blessings

The past few months have been a bit trying for me, medically speaking. In late August I was diagnosed with Type II Adult Onset Diabetes, which really hit me hard. I didn't want to believe it, no way, no how, but my blood sugars have been running above normal for a good year or so, and the time had come to face the facts that I could no longer dispute. This meant a huge change in my dietary choices, my exercise (or up to now, lack of it) and general outlook. I have to test my blood 2 x's a day at the least to see what is happening with the foods I'm eating, etc. That part isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but the exercising is what gets me down. I hate it, but I know it's NECESSARY....darn!
Also, a couple of weeks ago I got a call back to get more films done for something questionable which I won't go into, but the worry of that is nerve wracking, to say the least. I pray to Our Dear Lord that all will be well when I go back and get re-checked. If anyone is out there reading this, please keep me in your prayers.
I was reading my last two posts and wondering how I have been doing at trying to truly enjoy all the little things each and every day and this situation makes that effort even MORE important to me. I must do better and stay 'in the moment' for each and every moment of the day so that nothing escapes the opportunity to thank God and to know how blessed I am!

Thanking God for My Blessings

This morning, the weather is beautiful.....it's a bluer than blue sky and absolutely no humidity, with a refreshing breeze blowing. I took my coffee outside and soaked it all in while I silently thanked God for His glorious world. The beauty of the trees, the colorful flowers blooming all around us, the beautiful blue of the sky with the white puffy clouds, all this and so much more.

Beauty surrounds us everyday in so many ways, ways which I must admit, I sometimes fail to appreciate as I should. The things in our homes that possess beauty and give us a feeling of comfort and joy are things that can sometimes become so familiar that we forget to notice or use them as we should......at least that's the case for me.

I have many lovely items such as a special tea pot given to me by my grandmother who has since passed away and who I miss so much. I don't use this teapot nearly enough and that is something I intend to rectify beginning today. No more 'saving it for a special occasion.....life is getting shorter all the time and 'now is the appointed time', not some time in the future, which it seems, never comes to pass.

Other things like crystal glasses and serving pieces, a special vase to put some fresh flowers in, my Fiesta cups and saucers instead of just plain mugs all the time. Then there's the sparkling clean kitchen counters after I've polished them and the homemade foods and smells that eminate from my kitchen that I sometimes don't even take the time to enjoy!

Yes, I am promising Our Dear Lord that I will try each and every day to look and actually see the beauty that surrounds me in my day to day life, not only in the big things, but more importantly, in the smaller, less obvious ones. I ask for your prayers, dear readers, that I remember to be thankful as often as humanly possible by the grace of God, our Heavenly Father.

Trusting!

I'm currently reading a book called Trusting Yourself by M.J. Ryan, author of Random Acts of Kindness and The Power of Patience. I like so much of what she writes and one thing that truly made sense to me was the idea that we need to re-learn to REALLY trust ourselves again and in so doing we then can trust God even more deeply.

I think God created us to trust in the inate qualities He instilled inside each of His children. As we grow up we forget to trust ourselves and of course, God as well. We feel flawed most of the time either trying to keep up with the Joneses' or we've become hyper-critical and wind up feeling static in our everyday lives, which I don't think Jesus ever wanted for us.

To me, He gave us free will along with good old fashioned common sense and in this day and age we need to start using that common sense now more than ever. Pressure is everywhere to be better, be smarter, be thinner, be more active, be more financially sound, be ALL THAT AND 3 BAGS OF CHIPS too!!!! It can get a person down but if we try to remind ourselves each and every day to trust in the Lord knowing that He wants us to trust in ourselves too, I think we'll be much happier.

Now when I say trust in myself, I'm talking about the 'real me', the deep down soul of myself that knows who I am and desperatelty wants to be that person, flaws and all. No, that doesn't mean I stop working on trying to do better and be better every day, but only in those things that Our Dear Lord is concerned with.....not the world in general. How will I know what those things are? We always hear either Our Lord whispering in our ear, or our guardian angel, or perhaps a particular saint that we may have a deep faith in, but WE ALWAYS KNOW .

These have been some of my thoughts over the past few days and I'm glad I've had the chance to share them with any of you who may stop by to read my blog from time to time. Naturally, your responses are always welcomed.

"Insist on yourself; never imitate...nothing can bring you peace but yourself". Ralph Waldo Emerson (I would re-phrase this quote, if I may be so bold, to say: 'nothing can bring you peace but being the true self God created you to be').

June, Already!

I watched the original movie, 'The Omen' with Gregory Peck and Lee Remick yesterday and I have to say, it sent a few chills through me. Just contemplating some of the things written in Revelations and paying attention to just how quickly the world is changing every day is enough to make one sit up and take notice, or should I say, more likely, get down on one's knees and pray like there's no tomorrow.....for one of these days, who knows?

It troubles me that the devil is so powerful and always seems to take such good care of his own...does it you? Another movie that causes one to think more deeply is 'Fallen' with Denzel Washington and it also sites Revelations from the bible. It seems that evil is growing stronger all the time and every way we turn we're faced with it and must pray for the grace to resist.

Sorry if this post reads such gloom and doom, but I felt moved to post just what you're reading here. On that note, may the Lord be with all of you and with us all as we try to stay in God's graces, under His protection, and in His love every moment of each day.

Spring has Sprung!

Yes, the glory of the Lord can be see far and wide as everything begins to bloom! This morning I received a package in the mail from my sweet daughter-in law and son. Opening it I discovered a pink pot filled with bulbs of various flowers which will bloom at different times throughout the spring and possibly even the summer. Such sweethearts, my son and his lovely wife who never forget to remember!

What a testament of God's love and care for each His human children when we look at His creations such as the birds, the trees, the flowers and their vibrant colors and shapes.
We start out in our mother's womb, we're born, and we begin to grow and to bloom in our own unique way. Each of us is a wonderous creation of God and He loves us in and for our individual uniqueness. Hopefully, we then strive to grow in His love and to become vibrant in our faith, hope, and charity. This is what I wish for myself, and for all of you, dear readers.

Easter Week

It has been quite a long time since I've posted here but my quest to become closer every day to Our Lord is ongoing. This is such a holy season and I hope I've grown in my faith, day by day. Having the benefit of reading some of the inspiring Catholic blogs out there has been a source of reflection and prayer for me.

I have so far to go and if anyone is even reading my blog, would you please pray for me. The resurrection gives me so many thoughts and longings, at the same time. I want to rise a little bit more each day in my faith and trust in God and honestly don't think I've done very well. It is the season of hope and renewal though, so I will continue on my daily path and know that I can get help whenever I reach out.

I wish each and every one of you a blessed Easter season and a new and lively love for each other day by day.

The New Year

It's officially 2007, can you believe it? I'm hoping this year will bring me closer to the Lord 'each and every day', because it's been a struggle for me in 2006 but I tried not to give up. I'm feeling quite disappointed in not having an answer to a prayer I've prayed for quite a long time now. I wonder why the Lord won't grant me what I humbly ask in my prayer since it would harm no one and would only serve to make me a better person.....at least that's what I think, but perhaps the Lord thinks otherwise. If He does though, that doesn't help me with my disallusionment and my ever so slight feelings of underlying depression these days and I confess, even a feeling of "why won't You grant me this, O Lord"?

May I ask any of you who read my blog on occasion to pray for me in my continuous quest to grow in my Catholic faith and to each day grow closer to Jesus, and yes, could you also pray for my special intention because perhaps I just need more prayers?