The previous post discusses the empty searching in our lives. We are all searching for happiness, and we all struggle to find the happiness we desire because we search for it in all the wrong places. We turn to things of this world - television, Internet, friend's, others' approval, pleasurable actions, and more. The question is - where should we be searching? The obvious answer - God. The real question - how do we go about this? The answer - prayer. The actual question - how do we go about prayer. The answer - numerous ways. Today we're going to discuss the importance of prayer, specifically silence and coming to know ourselves through Christ.
It is necessary (and His Majesty's will) that we should take proper measures and learn to understand ourselves. -St. Teresa of Avila (Interior Castle)
The things of this world create much distress. They take away our peace. Our society is filled with noise that draws us away from Christ. The world tells us success, control, independence will grant the peace, the joy, the happiness we are searching for. This; however, is not true. Christ is the only one who will provide the peace, joy and happiness we are searching for. This peace can only be found in silence, and the silence is time spent with God, where you are seeking to know Him more. Also, as children of God, we need to define ourselves by God. He should be the entire essence of our being. All we do, we should do for Him.
John 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
So you see, in Christ, and in silence, we receive all that we need to obtain the happiness that we search for in things of the world.
Lord Jesus, grant us the peace we desire. The happiness we are searching for, can only come from you. Give us the grace to surrender the things of this world to you. Catch us as we fall into your loving arms. Amen.
Keep praying!
God bless!
In the love of Jesus & Mary,
Amber
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Endless, Empty Searching
We are constantly searching. We are searching for something. We try to find this something in many things - relationships, others' approval, television, magazines, books, music, food, sex, exercise, and other worldly things. We are searching for happiness. In the things I've listed, we are trying to find happiness, and in all the wrong places. We should be searching for this happiness in Christ Jesus, our King, and Savior.
God freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength (CCC1).
The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases calling man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for: "He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator." (CCC27)
We as children of God will only find our true freedom in God. Our relationship with Christ will give us the peace, freedom, and joy we desire. We will only find the happiness we are searching for in Christ!
Let us break off their shackles and cast off their chains. -Psalm 2:3
Let us pray for the grace to let of things of this world and surrender to God. Let out hearts be open to His presence in our lives and be open to an encounter with Him! Amen.
You have created us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until the rest in you. -St. Augustine
God freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength (CCC1).
The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases calling man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for: "He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator." (CCC27)
We as children of God will only find our true freedom in God. Our relationship with Christ will give us the peace, freedom, and joy we desire. We will only find the happiness we are searching for in Christ!
Let us break off their shackles and cast off their chains. -Psalm 2:3
Let us pray for the grace to let of things of this world and surrender to God. Let out hearts be open to His presence in our lives and be open to an encounter with Him! Amen.
You have created us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until the rest in you. -
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Curse of Perfectionism
Have you ever thought - "man, I am really stupid for saying that, I look like such an idiot, what was I thinking, why do I always seem to screw things up, always saying and doing the wrong thing"? I know I have, and do...all the time. This derives from perfectionism and the desire to do everything exactly perfect. This becomes a curse when you let it get to you and eat away at you all the time; many of us are guilty of this. This has been a major struggle for me in my life, especially recently.
In adoration the beginning of this month these thoughts came to mind
There is no blemish within you - Song of Songs 4:7
you are made perfectly
I see you as a pure child
you are my precious daughter
my memory is short
my mercy is great
& I see no blemish on you
you are beautiful
you are perfect
you are perfectly imperfect
I knit you in your mother's womb
you are fearfully and wonderfully made
there is no blemish within you
I love you as you are
for I made you special
you have a purpose
all your days are written in my book
(feb. 5th 2011)
"And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." - Ezekiel 36:27
Despite what we may think and how we may feel, we do not need to be so focused on perfecting every little detail of our lives. We do not completely ruin God's plan by saying something, he still works around it. We need not be focused on perfection, doing the "right" thing, and perfectly accomplishing everything. We are not perfect. It is in our nature to be imperfect. So long as the Holy Spirit is in us and we are striving to have a relationship with Christ, all will be okay. The Holy Spirit will be guiding our heart's desires. God can and will work with choices that we make. He works with our 'mistakes'. As long as we are trying to follow him and seeking his will things in life will turn out alright. God is great in mercy and has a deep love for his children, especially those who are close to him.
I am perfectly imperfect
I am made just the way I am for a reason
God has a purpose for me
He created me -
In love, by love, for love
He is my Lord
The sovereign King
Far above all gods
He is:
Jesus Christ
Lord of all
And he made me
Formed me in my mother's womb
Like a lily among thorns is my maiden among men -Song of Songs 2:2
You are all beautiful my beloved, there is no blemish within you -Song of Songs 4:7
For you are my treasured possession -Exodus 19:5
(feb 7 2011)
You are perfectly imperfect
I love you as you are
You are special
You have a purpose
(feb 11 2011)
There is an appointed time for everything and a time for every affair under the heavens - Ecclesiastes 3:1
Be patient my child. Follow me with all your. Trust in me. All will happen in my time.
If we place our trust in the Lord, He will take care of the rest!
I wish to close with this - You don't have to be perfect; you just have to try your best to surrender to the Spirit. Jesus Christ will take care of the rest.
Keep praying!
God bless!
In the love of Jesus & Mary,
Amber
In adoration the beginning of this month these thoughts came to mind
There is no blemish within you - Song of Songs 4:7
you are made perfectly
I see you as a pure child
you are my precious daughter
my memory is short
my mercy is great
& I see no blemish on you
you are beautiful
you are perfect
you are perfectly imperfect
I knit you in your mother's womb
you are fearfully and wonderfully made
there is no blemish within you
I love you as you are
for I made you special
you have a purpose
all your days are written in my book
(feb. 5th 2011)
"And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." - Ezekiel 36:27
Despite what we may think and how we may feel, we do not need to be so focused on perfecting every little detail of our lives. We do not completely ruin God's plan by saying something, he still works around it. We need not be focused on perfection, doing the "right" thing, and perfectly accomplishing everything. We are not perfect. It is in our nature to be imperfect. So long as the Holy Spirit is in us and we are striving to have a relationship with Christ, all will be okay. The Holy Spirit will be guiding our heart's desires. God can and will work with choices that we make. He works with our 'mistakes'. As long as we are trying to follow him and seeking his will things in life will turn out alright. God is great in mercy and has a deep love for his children, especially those who are close to him.
I am perfectly imperfect
I am made just the way I am for a reason
God has a purpose for me
He created me -
In love, by love, for love
He is my Lord
The sovereign King
Far above all gods
He is:
Jesus Christ
Lord of all
And he made me
Formed me in my mother's womb
Like a lily among thorns is my maiden among men -Song of Songs 2:2
You are all beautiful my beloved, there is no blemish within you -Song of Songs 4:7
For you are my treasured possession -Exodus 19:5
(feb 7 2011)
You are perfectly imperfect
I love you as you are
You are special
You have a purpose
(feb 11 2011)
There is an appointed time for everything and a time for every affair under the heavens - Ecclesiastes 3:1
Be patient my child. Follow me with all your. Trust in me. All will happen in my time.
If we place our trust in the Lord, He will take care of the rest!
I wish to close with this - You don't have to be perfect; you just have to try your best to surrender to the Spirit. Jesus Christ will take care of the rest.
Keep praying!
God bless!
In the love of Jesus & Mary,
Amber
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Humbly His
Humility is a virtue we all tend to struggle with, I think this is beacuse it is a virtue with many different aspects. Lately, God has been calling me to a greater humility and a deeper trust of his guidance in my life. Currently, I feel astray because I do not know what next year looks like at all. I've made a couple of decisions in my life, seeking to know God more and fall deeper in love with him - now things are changing and I feel left astray, but I know God is in me, He is in my heart, He is guiding me. Many of us feel this way, in some aspect, or have felt this way. Today's gospel really stood out to me, so it's will be posted below for you to refer to!
When they arrived at Bethsaida, they brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on him and asked, "Do you see anything?"
Looking up he replied, "I see people looking like trees and walking."
Then he laid hands on his eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, "Do not even go into the village." -Mark 8:22-26
Jesus is known for his humility, obviously. The Son of God chose to become man in order to save us. He completely surrendered himself for our redemption. In the parables, Jesus always says at the end to not go tell others, but for a person to keep to himself about the miracle Jesus performed. I believe God is asking us to be thankful for the gifts we have been given. He doesn't want us running around prideful - rather, he wants us joyful & spreading the truth through love and our actions. Therefore, we must thank God humbly realizing that our gifts are not of us, but are purely of God!
The other twist on this gospel came from a reflection I read today from The Word Among Us. In this reflection the author discusses Jesus having to lay his hands on the man's eyes a second time. Jesus is always calling us back to himself. He is the merciful Father. When we are far from him, he is calling our name desiring our repentance, desiring our return. This is the other aspect of humility. Recognizing that we need Christ. We cannot, cannot live this life alone. We cannot bear our cross alone. We need Christ to help us carry the cross because we are too weak without him and can do nothing without Him. We can do all things through him who empowers us(phil 4:13).
We, as human, are imperfect. We are going to fail. We are going to mess up. Recognize your faults and pray for the grace to grow from the mistakes. Pray for the grace to receive whatever you need to fully accomplish God's will. Only God knows exactly what we need, for he knows us better than we know ourselves!
Keep praying!
God bless!
In the love of Jesus&Mary,
Amber
When they arrived at Bethsaida, they brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on him and asked, "Do you see anything?"
Looking up he replied, "I see people looking like trees and walking."
Then he laid hands on his eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, "Do not even go into the village." -Mark 8:22-26
Jesus is known for his humility, obviously. The Son of God chose to become man in order to save us. He completely surrendered himself for our redemption. In the parables, Jesus always says at the end to not go tell others, but for a person to keep to himself about the miracle Jesus performed. I believe God is asking us to be thankful for the gifts we have been given. He doesn't want us running around prideful - rather, he wants us joyful & spreading the truth through love and our actions. Therefore, we must thank God humbly realizing that our gifts are not of us, but are purely of God!
The other twist on this gospel came from a reflection I read today from The Word Among Us. In this reflection the author discusses Jesus having to lay his hands on the man's eyes a second time. Jesus is always calling us back to himself. He is the merciful Father. When we are far from him, he is calling our name desiring our repentance, desiring our return. This is the other aspect of humility. Recognizing that we need Christ. We cannot, cannot live this life alone. We cannot bear our cross alone. We need Christ to help us carry the cross because we are too weak without him and can do nothing without Him. We can do all things through him who empowers us(phil 4:13).
We, as human, are imperfect. We are going to fail. We are going to mess up. Recognize your faults and pray for the grace to grow from the mistakes. Pray for the grace to receive whatever you need to fully accomplish God's will. Only God knows exactly what we need, for he knows us better than we know ourselves!
Keep praying!
God bless!
In the love of Jesus&Mary,
Amber
Monday, February 14, 2011
Ahh Valentine's Day
So many of my friends, especially of the female orientation get down on Valentine's day when they're single. Hallmark kind of, well...created this holiday. Originally, St. Valentine was martyred on this day, which is where it gets the name from, however, today that is not the nature of this holiday. St. Valentine is the patron of love, and so it makes sense that ones in love would celebrate their love in honor of St. Valentine's patronage, but hallmark has taken it a little over board and made Valentine's day into something bigger than it needs to be. "
Today, I want to speak to those suffering from pains of loneliness and the obvious fact that they are single. I encourage you to join with me in embracing the single life. Recognize it as an opportunity to grow. The times in your life when you are single give you the opportunity to seek God more fully. We must have established a strong, consistent relationship with God before we are able to truly enter into a relationship with another person. We must have defined ourselves through God, as His beloved children, before we can really date for the purpose of dating, discerning marriage. Embrace the single life. Look at it as an opportunity to love everyone. Look at it as an opportunity to learn how to love.
Again I say to you, embrace the single life. Look at Jesus Christ as your beloved. Turn to Him in the times when you feel the pains of loneliness. Remember, Christ loves you with a perfect love. He is perfect and is the perfect giver of love. Embrace the love of Christ. Seek Jesus as your one and only, drawing close to His Sacred heart. He welcomes you into His arms with great love!
Keep praying!
God bless!
In the love of Jesus & Mary,
Amber
Today, I want to speak to those suffering from pains of loneliness and the obvious fact that they are single. I encourage you to join with me in embracing the single life. Recognize it as an opportunity to grow. The times in your life when you are single give you the opportunity to seek God more fully. We must have established a strong, consistent relationship with God before we are able to truly enter into a relationship with another person. We must have defined ourselves through God, as His beloved children, before we can really date for the purpose of dating, discerning marriage. Embrace the single life. Look at it as an opportunity to love everyone. Look at it as an opportunity to learn how to love.
Again I say to you, embrace the single life. Look at Jesus Christ as your beloved. Turn to Him in the times when you feel the pains of loneliness. Remember, Christ loves you with a perfect love. He is perfect and is the perfect giver of love. Embrace the love of Christ. Seek Jesus as your one and only, drawing close to His Sacred heart. He welcomes you into His arms with great love!God bless!
In the love of Jesus & Mary,
Amber
Saturday, February 12, 2011
You are my Treasured Possession
And I rejoice over you with singing -Zeph. 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you. Jer. 32:40
For you are my treasured possession Exodus 19:5
And I love you with an everlasting love Jer. 31:3
The other day when I was praying I came across these verses and they really stood out to me. I was actually preparing for a testimony for a Confirmation retreat, about why Jesus needs to be number one in our lives.
I feel these verses really elaborate how great the love of Father is for each of us, his children. God's love is infinite, his mercy is great. With those who are close to Him, his memory is short and he forgives us for each failure.
He says, you are my treasured possession, we belong to him, we are treasured by him, we are special to him, and this is why we must make Him number 1 in our lives. He loves us with an everlasting love, and we are called to serve him in praise and thanksgiving, for the love he has bestowed on us. Making Jesus the center of our lives is all we are asked and he gives us so much in return when we simply make him number one.
When I wholly surrendered, and chose to follow Jesus, not so long ago, it was the best decision of my life. I had many questions, especially about Catholicism, but I knew it was truth, and I knew it was the only place I would find what I had been searching for all along. God is great in His mercy. He will forgive us for any sin, great or small. We often make our God too small, and don't put enough faith in Him.
I will never stop doing good to you. Jer. 32:40
For you are my treasured possession Exodus 19:5
And I love you with an everlasting love Jer. 31:3
The other day when I was praying I came across these verses and they really stood out to me. I was actually preparing for a testimony for a Confirmation retreat, about why Jesus needs to be number one in our lives.
I feel these verses really elaborate how great the love of Father is for each of us, his children. God's love is infinite, his mercy is great. With those who are close to Him, his memory is short and he forgives us for each failure.
He says, you are my treasured possession, we belong to him, we are treasured by him, we are special to him, and this is why we must make Him number 1 in our lives. He loves us with an everlasting love, and we are called to serve him in praise and thanksgiving, for the love he has bestowed on us. Making Jesus the center of our lives is all we are asked and he gives us so much in return when we simply make him number one.
When I wholly surrendered, and chose to follow Jesus, not so long ago, it was the best decision of my life. I had many questions, especially about Catholicism, but I knew it was truth, and I knew it was the only place I would find what I had been searching for all along. God is great in His mercy. He will forgive us for any sin, great or small. We often make our God too small, and don't put enough faith in Him.
Today, I encourage you to wholly surrender. Give your life over to Jesus and let him be in control. It will be a challenge, it will be hard, but it will be completely worth it in the end. You will be able to be joyful in a new way. If you've said yes to Jesus before, if you've surrendered before, I encourage you to surrender again. Give your life to God again. Let him reign in your heart and hand your life over to the one who created you!
God bless!
Keep praying!
In the love of Jesus & Mary,
Amber
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
All We Need is...? Part 3
The other day my friend informed me she couldn't help but smirk at one of the emails I sent her because she went through the exact same struggles I was emailing her about. Today, I received an email from a friend and I couldn't help but smirk because she's going through the same struggles I have gone through and am going through.. It's great how God places people in our lives who can help us through things with their own experiences.
The advice my friend is always giving me when I email her upset with my struggle is to pray and to rely on Christ. We, as God's children canNOT rely on our own strength to bear our cross. We must rely on Christ. We must humbly admit that we are too weak to carry our cross and we NEED Christ. So often our pride gets in the way and we try to rely on our own strength. In doing that, we get worn down, we get tired, and we lose the desire to keep fighting. Once we wholly surrender and hand everything over to Christ we are re-energized. We receive the strength to bear the cross God has willed for us, and we can bear that cross with that joy!
We gather our strength from Christ through prayer. We must pray in order to get to know Him. We must have a relationship with him so that the Holy Spirit can guide us. Simply put: all we need is Christ.
Tonight, I encourage you to give God a chance. Be open to what He has in store for you, be open to his will. When you open to Christ, he works His way in and your life changes radically. You lose who you once were, but the person you become is so much better than the person you were. There are new struggles, but you have somewhere to go, you have someone to run to, and you're never alone because Jesus is always with you. Give God a chance. Let Him in!
God bless!
Keep praying!
In the love of Jesus & Mary,
Amber
The advice my friend is always giving me when I email her upset with my struggle is to pray and to rely on Christ. We, as God's children canNOT rely on our own strength to bear our cross. We must rely on Christ. We must humbly admit that we are too weak to carry our cross and we NEED Christ. So often our pride gets in the way and we try to rely on our own strength. In doing that, we get worn down, we get tired, and we lose the desire to keep fighting. Once we wholly surrender and hand everything over to Christ we are re-energized. We receive the strength to bear the cross God has willed for us, and we can bear that cross with that joy!
We gather our strength from Christ through prayer. We must pray in order to get to know Him. We must have a relationship with him so that the Holy Spirit can guide us. Simply put: all we need is Christ.
Tonight, I encourage you to give God a chance. Be open to what He has in store for you, be open to his will. When you open to Christ, he works His way in and your life changes radically. You lose who you once were, but the person you become is so much better than the person you were. There are new struggles, but you have somewhere to go, you have someone to run to, and you're never alone because Jesus is always with you. Give God a chance. Let Him in!
God bless!
Keep praying!
In the love of Jesus & Mary,
Amber
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