ThirstyFountains

                                       One of the many moods of grief is a kind of numbness, a pain so deep and pervasive that nothing seems to be able to ripple its surface. This perhaps is a benign form of anesthesia, giving our senses time to rest a bit before we reenter the whirlpool of torn lives, of shattered dreams, of anguished tears.      As will all other moods of grief, it will pass. To know this is just a stoic acceptance of what it is. It is to be reminded that there are seasons of grieving -- and like the plunge into frost after a balmy day of spring, or like an Indian summer, these mini-seasons are not predictable. But they will pass, and they have their own inner logic. Sometimes the best we can do is say, "Okay, That's how it is today. What can I do that is most compatible with this mood?" Then, we go on about whatever business (or lack of) tha...

     Right now, I am supposed to be vacationing. But, I am thinking about writing for my blog, how long it has been since the last post, if anyone is still reading them and getting inspired and/or helped by them, etcetera. It has been on my mind almost 24/7.      I have trouble relaxing. I am not a very good "vacationer." I need a plan for almost everything. Does this sound like you? Do you have trouble just breathing? Why? Why do some people struggle with relaxation, vacation, and chilling out?      My thoughts are this: when we have a thought-out, intricately detailed plan it makes us feel that we still have a little bit of control over our lives. Maybe it is because we think that if we think of each and every possible scenario then we can avoid any hurt that may happen to come our way.       What some do not realize, though, is that no matter what we plan we will never be in control over what happens in...

     Servant. What does it mean to be a servant? According to Merriam Webster, a servant is someone who performs duties to help another. So how does this relate to the family? It relates to the family because, when in a family, sacrifices are performed (well, should be). Recently, I attended Faithful Servant Leadership Retreat. People there taught me how to be sacrificial with time, wants, desires, preferences, and their will over another's.      How have you been a servant to those around you? How can you be a better one? In your family, who do you admire the most for their selflessness? Do you want to be like them?      A family is a group of people that help you, challenge you, heal you, cry with you, suffer with you, laugh with you, and take care of you. Before Faithful Servant, I thought it almost impossible that  I would find someone who I could be real with, but I prayed anyway that I would find that one person. I wa...

     Imagine: A small child, bouncing on their toes. Their hands are weaved together, clasped with fervency. They are asking, begging, for something. They move onto the puss eyes. Ah! There it is. The biting of the lip. Why would the child be biting his lip? Maybe because they can sense an answer coming. An answer... they don't want to receive.  "Please?" They drag the word out, "I'll do anything if I can!" Ah, yes. That old line :) "No, not today." The parent sees the child's eyes filling with- dare I say it? Disappointment.  "Honey, please. Don't give me that look." It's the parent's turn to beg. When the child runs away screaming (at the top of his lungs, I might add), it causes eh! Disappointment- for the parent too.  "Why can't he understand? I'm doing it for the best! Now, with all the stress from _____, I have this to deal with. I just wanted a perfect day, for once..." .  ...

Today starts the  Novena to The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus  !!!      I have been reading Confessions of St. Augustine. In chapter 10, book 12, there is a prayer that I love to pray. You may want to read this slowly...   Let Truth, the light of my heart, and not my own darkness, speak to me. I turned aside to these material things and became darkened,  but from there, even there, I loved You. I have gone astray (Psalm 119:176) , and I remembered You (John 2:8). I heard Your voice behind me (Ez 3:12), calling me to return,  though I could scarcely hear it amid the noise of sinners. And now, behold, I return, panting and gasping to Your fountain.  Let no one forbid me. I shall drink of this fountain and so I shall live. Let me not continue to live as I have lived, for I acknowledge that I have lived badly. To myself I was death, and in You do I live again. Speak to me, discourse with me. I have believed Y...

The  St. Anthony Novena  begins today! Be sure to check it out!      Ears. Right now, think about all the things you can hear. I hear my parents laughing, my little sisters talking, the sound of my breathing, and the computer keys being tapped. (not to mention the soundtrack of A Walk to Remember playing...) Without my ears, without the ability to hear, I would be missing so many things that are going on around me.      I love hearing. One of my favorite things is hearing certain people call my name. I like hearing kids giggling, horses chewing, scissors snipping, water dancing over the rocks, the wind blowing through tree leaves, and much more. I love listening to stories, my friends' laughter, and what is not said.      You see- I believe there is a B-I-G difference between hearing and listening. Hearing requires a small amount of care and ears. Listening requires heart, intuition, and sometimes ears. With that ...

You must possess courage for both.  Whaaat?! You say. Yes. It's true. If you are in an abusive relationship (whether that be psychologically or physically) then you need to Forget Everything And Run (to get help). It takes nothing to join the crowd, but it takes everything to stand alone. If you are being teased or hurt then you need to Face Everything And Rise.      It is hard to know what to do in certain situations. There are a few things that you can rely on and they are: God (#shockerlol), your intuition, and your gut-feeling. Intuition is the ability to understand something immediately, without the effort of conscious reasoning. Gut-feeling is an immediate feeling or reason without a logical rationale.  As you can see, intuition and g-f are similar, however,  g-f consciously uses your brain, while intuition is more similar to an instinct.  Do not. Empower. Your enemy. Ever. Fear can make something bigger than it r...

Word.      Love someone with a true, sacrificial love. Do not "I love you if" or "I love you because." No. Instead, love period. Love no matter what. It is okay to like certain characteristics and physical features of a person, but do not love them; love the soul, the heart. Characteristics and physical features change and fade over time, but the soul is everlasting.      If we do not love solely because they are made in God's image, if we shape them and make our habits their habits..... then we really are only loving the reflection of ourselves we see in them . When we love, we will challenge the other person to become a better-version-of-themself. Love is bold. Simultaneously, love can be hard to see: a small smile, an encouraging word, an act of kindness, letting another speak before you, etcetera. Love is simple. It is putting the other person's needs before your own. If we humble ourselves, we can become love experts. I was thirteen when ...

       We have chosen and created clutter and congestion, which in turn breeds confusion. By creating these three C's in our lives, we have created them in our hearts. By admitting this we free ourselves. By doing this we empower ourselves to play a role in its recreation. We need to remember we have free will and we are in control of our actions- no matter what. Clutter, congestion, and confusion have become an accepted part of most people's lives. It does not have to be that way. We are not victims. "You are worried about so many things, but only one thing is necessary." (Luke 10:41)      Simplify your life. Simplify. Simplify! Simplicity is the way to clarity. Give the path of simplicity a chance in your life. We yearn for simplicity, but our lives have a habit of getting out of control, overwhelmed, and overcrowded. We complicate our lives for four main reasons: We don't know what we really want We don't have a clear sense of the pur...