Category: Mind

Diversions

Over the last several weeks, it seems like my life has gotten increasingly chaotic. A new boss. Friends going through hard times. Too much to do and too little time. Sick relatives. My list could go on and on. I’m sure you could create your own list in no time.

When your life gets this chaotic, it’s easy to fall into despair or being overwhelmed. How will I ever get myself out of this? I asked myself that same question on Tuesday. With a quick phone call to a close friend, I had my answer. I can’t do it alone. I was asking how I could get myself out of it. A better approach would be to ask how God can help me get out of it.

Catholic Church Inspiration Mind Prayer Spirit

Wanting More

Way back in the 1990’s, I learned about the great spiritual writer Henri Nouwen. His books and tapes were very popular, and his book Return of the Prodigal Son became a huge best seller.

As it is with most authors, over time we move on to other writers who seem to speak more clearly to us. We can also find ourselves bored with one person’s thoughts and turn to the latest and greatest. It seems like that is what happened with me and Henri. I loved his books once, and found great meaning in them. But now those books sit on my shelf collecting dust. Recently though, I’ve been working through some things, and Nouwen’s works have come back as rich sources of inspiration and wisdom.

Inspiration Mind Prayer Spirit

Restoration

Although my area missed the big snow and ice storm which hit the country over the last couple of days, it’s still winter around here. Last night I had to salt one of the entrances to our church. Thank God for spreaders:)

Over the last several weeks, my prayer life has been focused on God’s ability to restore broken things. Sometimes in our busy-ness, we lose sight of just how broken the world really is. Let me tell you, there are a lot of broken people out there. When you get right to it, in reality we’re all broken in one way or the other. It’s been that way from the beginning.

Inspiration Mind Prayer Spirit

Loneliness and Aloneness

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been talking to a lot of people about their feelings of loneliness. In most people’s minds, when we think of someone being lonely, we assume they are single, widowed or divorced. But married people can be lonely too.

The question to ask ourselves is how can we help? What can we do to help people overcome their loneliness and feelings of aloneness? What can we do to help ourselves deal with loneliness and aloneness in our own lives?

Some insights on the answer to these questions can be found in the daily devotional, Grace In Every Season, written by Catherine Doherty.

Inspiration Mind Spirit

I’ll Be Happy When…

This is a guest post from a therapist friend of mine. She wanted to add her thoughts to my recent posting How Much Longer?. I’m glad she did 🙂

I’ll Be Happy When…

It seems all of us are waiting for something or someone. Right now, as was mentioned recently on Making All Things New, many of us are waiting for Spring.

While looking forward to a warmer month, a vacation, a long awaited homecoming of a loved one, a job offer or even something as simple as a kind word or a phone call, is a good thing, we have to be careful not to postpone happiness or joy.

Continue reading “I’ll Be Happy When…”

Inspiration Mind Prayer Spirit

Staying With God

God never forsakes us; we forsake Him. We get so caught up in our concerns and anxieties that we sometimes forget to open our eyes and hearts to His presence. We become self-absorbed.

When this happens, we allow ourselves to fall into habits and behaviors that we know are not the best for us. Very quickly other things/people can become our god, and we slip into a of shadow of our true self. This is the place where all the things we want to keep hidden about ourselves exist. Lives and marriages are lost here.

diabetes Fitness Inspiration Mind Spirit type II diabetes

Living In Denial

I was talking to a friend yesterday at church about Faith Fighting Diabetes. I wanted him to know about last week’s outreach to the Hispanic members of our congregation and how many of them will be screened this upcoming Saturday. I thought he would be interested because he’s a diabetic himself.

Then he dropped a bombshell. I’m in total denial. I don’t do anything I’m supposed to do. What surprising statements from someone who is a public figure, well-educated, and loves life.

I knew my friend was in the advanced stages of diabetes, which I would have thought would be enough to force him to stay on top of this chronic and complicated disease. Not so.

Inspiration Mind Spirit

Here Be Dragons

Don’t worry, you’re not experiencing a case of deja vu. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember this post from early summer.

For some reason, it kept coming up in my mind over the last several days, and, since there are so many new people following Making All Things New, I thought I would re-post it.

It has a great message that’s worth repeating. It also fits perfectly with a lot of the stuff I’ve been talking about lately, especially as we begin this New Year.

Inspiration Mind Spirit

Don’t Keep Waiting

People would do nothing if they waited until they could do it so well that no one could find fault. John Henry Newman

Does this quote strike a chord with you? Maybe it’s a fear of failure, or the perceived risk involved in trying something new. Either way, I think Newman was on to something.

Over the last few years, I think many of us have developed an aversion to risk. It could be that you feel trapped in a job, which you keep because you are afraid of not finding another if you were to quit.

Maybe you’ve had a health issue that you’ve avoided for too long and now it’s serious.

I know several people who are nervous to apply for a re-finance of their home loan because they are fearful that they will be turned down.

No doubt, these are tough times. But we can’t let that stop us from living, and risk is a part of life. If we wait for just the right job, the perfect loan, the best doctor, we may wait too long and miss an opportunity that God has given us.

Inspiration Mind Spirit

Gentler Times

When was the last time you read a poem?

I have a book of the poems of Robert Frost on a bookshelf near my bed, but most of the time it collects dust, and the poems inside go unread. Maybe you have a similar tome resting unopened, sitting somewhere in your house. Sad.