Category: Inspiration

Sowing Seeds

Several months before 9/11/01, our two young interns sat me down to talk. In order to reach people their age, they said, “you have to get an AOL instant messaging account.” They also informed me that I had to come up with a screen name. Because I was venturing into this new world begrudgingly, I told them that if they really wanted me to do it, they would have to come up with a screen name for me. With that, they went back to their office to figure it out.

About ten minutes later, they came back to my office. One of them said, “we think your name should be seedthrower, since that’s a big part of what you do.” They also added the fact that I’m always concerned with what sprouted, and how its growing, but that I’m not supposed to keep looking back to check. Ouch.

Catholic Church Inspiration Mind Prayer

Make Us Instruments Of Your Peace

Post author By seedthrower1
Post date 09/11/2010
1 Comment on Make Us Instruments Of Your Peace

Most people don’t know that the first recorded victim of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 was a Franciscan priest.

Fr. Mychal Judge was a chaplain with the New York Fire Department and raced to the scene of the World Trade Center as soon as he got the news.

As he was giving last rites to one of the many fire fighters who lost their lives that day, both were struck by falling debris or bodies, and killed instantly. A spiritual son of the author of the Peace Prayer, Fr. Judge lost his life while serving to his last breath.

Inspiration Prayer

Taking Risks

I’m taking an on-line course right now that’s all about leadership change. From the postings my classmates have been putting up, it’s clear that most of us have experienced more poorly executed changes than those which have turned out positively. That’s really unfortunate, since change is a part of life, and when done well, it can lead us to greater and better things.

Maybe so many of us avoid change because it more often than not involves risk. Given all the financial meltdowns we’ve just experienced, many of us might be falling into a pattern of risk aversion. That would be a shame.

Inspiration

Moving Ahead

Wow, the weekend went by quickly 🙁 I had so much I wanted to get accomplished, and well, I got about 60% done. The other 40% will have to wait awhile. I’m entering my busy time at work, and there’s so much to do. I know you can relate, even if you’re retired. Maybe we’ll never catch up.

But it’s exciting to start something new, and I’m looking forward to all the activity that comes with fresh starts. As I’m sure you’ve picked up, new beginnings is a pretty consistent theme here on Making All Things New.

Continue reading “Moving Ahead”

Inspiration Mind Prayer Spirit type II diabetes

Mindfulness

Happy Labor Day!

I hope you have the chance to relax today! I would be remise if I didn’t remind you to keep all the many, many folks who are unemployed in your prayers. These are difficult times.

This weekend, I’ve been reading Life Is An Attitude, written by Dottie Billington. It’s a little self-help book that was mentioned by someone in an on-line course I’m taking, and I thought I’d check it out. So far, I like what I’ve read.

Ignatian Spirituality Inspiration Prayer Spirit

Our Father

After I make some coffee and feed the dog each morning, I head upstairs to the computer. The first site I go to is Loyola Press’ Three Minute Retreat. I know I’ve written about this great little prayer help several times, but it’s worth bringing up again.

Loyola Press has done a great job at giving us a simple, quick and meaningful way to start our day, and if you haven’t tried it out yet, please give it a look. You can even have the retreat emailed to you, which it how a lot of my friends and co-workers get the messages. Who doesn’t have three minutes to spare?

I am writing about it again because of a line that was included in today’s retreat. It struck a chord with me.

Inspiration Mind Prayer

Opportunities Galore!

It is a beautiful morning here in Westminster, MD. I got an extra-long walk in today, and even saw the beginnings of some fall color on a young sugar maple. What a glorious day!

While walking, I was thinking about all opportunities to do something good this Labor Day weekend. As the spin doctors continue to paint a bleak a picture as possible on just about everything, I realized how important it is for us to focus on the good that we can do, and the good that is all around us.

Inspiration Mind Travel

The Weekend Is Here

I took a shopping trip into Baltimore today, trying to get some things for the three-day weekend. First, I wanted to get the ingredients for the Carrot Oatmeal cookies I was going to make. I found the recipe on-line, and since I love oatmeal cookies, I thought this would be the perfect way to try something new and use up a bunch of carrots I bought last weekend.

Inspiration Prayer Spirit

The Best Part

Life is a journey, not so much to a destination, but a transformation.

Looking back, doesn’t it sometimes feel like our richest times are right in the midst of our hardest?

God made us to live in community, to laugh and cry, to hurt and celebrate with each other no matter what we’re going through.

Transformation is tough. We don’t always end up where we think we will. We have to remember that even when we struggle to believe in Him, He always believes in us.

He fills our lives with purpose and passion if we could just let Him. The best part of the journey is that the God of the universe sometimes allows us to play a part in changing the world. Isn’t that a trip?

last scene in To Save A Life

I found this movie on Netflix, and I wasn’t exactly sure why I put it in my queue. It is a story of contemporary high school life and all the drama that comes with it. As I sat watching the last scene and listening to one of the lead characters give the little speech above, I knew I should post it for you. It fits so well with the message I’m putting out there right now. I hope you’ll reflect on what the words might mean to you.

Catholic Church Inspiration Prayer

This Is Your Chance

Have a deep compassion for people. To be able to have a heart full of compassion, we need to pray.

Especially be kind, be loving to the poor.

We think we do so much for the poor, but it they who make us rich. We are in debt to them.

Do you want to do something beautiful for God?

There is a person who needs you.

This is your chance.

Mother Teresa