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Ignatian Spirituality Inspiration Prayer

On Gratitude I

I just got back from the Windy City.  I spent the past several days in Chicago with the folks from Loyola Press, learning about all they are doing to support people like me in parish faith formation.  As always, I walk away energized and blessed by the efforts of this non-profit publishing house.

While I was there I had some time to continue reading from Dale Carnegie’s classic, How To Stop Worrying And Start Living. At the present time, you can pick up this gem for less than $10 on Amazon.  If you don’t own it, please get a copy.  I don’t think you’ll regret it.

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Inspiration Mind Prayer

Patience

Last night, I was talking with a friend who is slowly trying to get his life back on track.  He was frustrated that things were taking so long, and that it seemed like every now and again a stumbling block would appear, making it seem like everything would fall apart. 

As hard as it is, we need to take a look at these situations from a different perspective.  We need to prayerfully ask ourselves if God is trying to teach us something through it all.

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Inspiration Prayer Spirit

Who Wants It?

A friend of mine recommended I pick up a copy of Secrets of a Prayer Warrior by Derek Prince.  Right about now, I need all the help I can get on the prayer front.  I don’t know about you, but it seems like the number of serious things to pray about at this time are greater than they’ve ever been.

As I type these words, however, I’m mindful of generations past who have had to deal with wars, famine, great disasters, etc.  But, in my life right now, there are just so many people/issues that I want to life up to God.  I hope this book helps 🙂

Categories
Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews

Pizza Soup

Earlier this week, I did a post on my rendition of roasted red pepper pita pizza. Knowing the college students I was preparing them for could consume them in large amounts, I thought it was a good idea to have a jar of prepared pizza sauce on hand in case we went through my home-made sauce.

Luckily, I didn’t have to use my backup, so today I thought I’d come up with a way to use it.  Although we have been having some great weather lately, we’re supposed to get hit with a bit of snow tomorrow 🙁  What could be better than a grilled cheese sandwich and some hot soup on a snow day?

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Catholic Church Inspiration Italy Spirit Travel

Gabriel’s Message

I broke the news to a group of college students last night.  Nine months from today, we’ll be celebrating Christmas.  That’s right.  Today’s the Feast of the Annunciation, the moment humanity learned of Emmanuel, God with us.

You may recall that the image above, the Cortona Annunciation by Fra Angelico is one of my all time favorites.  I’ve had the chance to see it several times in the Museo Diocesano, and each and every time, the vibrancy and beauty of this great artist’s masterpiece leaves me stunned.

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Appetizers Nutrition Vegetarian

Roasted Red Pepper Pita Pizza

This past weekend, I tried this recipe with some friends over to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph.  As I sometimes do, I made some changes to the original, and since the weather was nice (but cold), I decided to cook them on the grill.

They were fantastic, and, even though the rest of the food was good, they would have preferred if I just kept making this little pizzas.

Last night, I was asked to do some dorm room cooking for the students at Mc Daniel College.  March is National Nutrition Month, and I wanted to make some simple dishes that the students could make cheaply, easily, and deliciously.  Success 🙂

Categories
Inspiration Mind

Adult Education

Yesterday, it seemed like everything I did focused on adult education.  First, I went with a friend to a satellite campus of Johns Hopkins University, where they offer specialized programs for adults who never earned their bachelor’s degree.

I was really impressed with what my alma mater was doing to reach out to this population, making it possible for them to fulfill something that, for many, is a life-long dream.  Hopkins is not alone in providing programs like this.  On line “universities” are a dime a dozen today, and not all of them equip a student with what they need to succeed.  

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Inspiration Prayer

You Are Loved

And a voice came from the heavens, saying ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. (MT 3:17)

Many contemporary spiritual writers talk about our need to be loved.  While we try and find love, we sometimes look for it in the wrong places, which gets us into all kinds of trouble.  These writers all point us to the ultimate source of love, and that’s God.  

Categories
Main Course Soup On Saturday Soups and Stews

Black and Red Bean Soup

Sorry for the delay in getting this recipe up.  I finished the Y challenge this morning and then had to get ready for some dinner guests.  In hindsight, I wish I had made this easy soup tonight.  It’s easy to throw all the ingredients into a crock pot before you head into work.  You’ll come home to a great meal.

Categories
Inspiration Prayer Spirit

A Life Cut Short

At the end of last week, I did a post entitled, What’s He Up To? The point of the posting was that we needed to trust that God is active and moving in our lives, even though we sometimes don’t see it.

I challenged everyone, including myself, to submit everything to God so He can turn our struggles, fears and doubts into something greater than we can imagine.  Yesterday, I got some terrible news that had me asking once again, What’s He up to?