Quiet Pools

By Jeannette Doran

As spring comes, we begin to see the bare branches sprout and flower. We wait for the soft rains and watch the trees fill out with various shades of green. Rows of tiny green plants are seen amidst the fields of black soil. When the hot, humid days come, how refreshing the cooling rain becomes. Summertime and the action of creation display the splendor of pools, streams and rivers of living water. As in our prayer life, St. Teresa, who loved the gospel of the Samaritan woman, uses living water to teach us about the four stages of prayer. She begins with our struggle to pray and ends with the abundance of God’s grace drenching our very being.

Water is a powerful image. It is used in Scripture and in spiritual writings to illuminate mystery. Creation captures water's beauty; water weaves throughout our world. We delight in the rolling of the ocean waves as well as the rushing rivers. We experience serenity as we sit by the still lake. In desert land, there is a desire for water. During summer water quenches our thirst while we take pleasure in swimming away the heat of the day.

Spiritual waters permeate our souls as we take time to create quiet spaces. When we carve out a place of solitude and become a still pool, the Holy Spirit will fill our being with God’s living Presence. As still waters reflect the mountain peaks, the fragile blue cornflower and the various shades of green trees, so too, when one takes time for deep silence, God radiates within our souls, forming Christ’s image.

 

Scripture reminds us of how “the waters of Shiloh flow gently” (Is. 8: 6). In the eighth chapter of Isaiah, we learn the importance of remaining in tranquility. In Chapter 7 of St. John’s gospel, Jesus promises the believer that “rivers of living water shall flow” from within one’s heart. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman; “whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty; no, the water I give shall become a spring within (the heart of the believer), welling up to eternal life.” Water is often used throughout the psalms to denote longing for God. In Psalm 42, we pray: “As a deer longs for running streams, so longs my soul for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, the God of my life.” Water is a symbol of God’s grace used in our sacramental life. For example, we read “when the soldier pierced the heart of Jesus after his death immediately blood and water flowed out.” This blood and water could be a symbolic reference to the Eucharist and Baptism, as many believe.

Our loving God so longs to drench us with this living water. St. Augustine wrote that “we are the bread and Christ is the hunger”. May Christ’s hunger for our yearning for intimacy with God overflow into our hearts, and into all that we do. Eventually this becomes a gift to others. This is the ultimate goal of our lives.

Finding Hope from the Storm

By Kathryn Lang

The sun woke me up – caused by partial curiosity about what I would see out my window and a growing hope that I would be able to plug in the coffee maker to my battery backup. The devastation around me had not cleared up during the night but saying out loud that I have it bad becomes tough when I know that others around me were hurt so much deeper. It still hurt to see the limbs and debris that reminded me of the trees on the other side of the house.  Matters only got worse when the coffee issue did NOT get resolved. Strike two.

Thursday needed something normal after such a crazy Wednesday. It started at six in the morning with as close to a direct hit as I ever want to encounter. We left for shelter shortly after that first round cleared out. The three trees sitting on the house would have probably anchored us from being carried away, but my husband was worried about the structural integrity more than anything else. A crack in the kitchen and a crack in the boys’ bedroom hinted at some serious damage.

He and I drove back to see our property during one of the many breaks to check on everything or more to see if there WAS anything to check on. The highway was covered with downed trees that had not been there before. A second storm had struck our community. The factory a mile from us had been demolished.

It looked like everything for us was still in the same shape that we had left it. No electricity, a hole in the wall and three trees on the roof. Home sweet home.

We returned to hunker down for two more hours sheltered from the storms then we made the dark ride home. The stars were shining bright but they only seemed to add to the darkness. The town near our home was dark and the drive home was covered with debris. If you did not know your way by instinct then you were NOT going to find it by sight.

It will take months for us to recover from the storms that swept through on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. I walked around yesterday looking for some idea of what I could do and I am still looking. My to-do list includes a lot of boxing up and throwing out and hope.

Hope from the Storm

Faith – I hope that my attitude and actions show my faith in God. He did so much preparing our lives for the storms and sometimes we miss what He has done for what is coming when the storms hit.

Testimony – I hope that what happened that morning allows us to tell of God’s protection and guidance. We were in the roar of the storm, but no one was hurt and even they had a sense of calm during the chaos.

Praise – I hope that this storm draws an entire community together to praise the blessings that can come from the storm. It will take months for all the trees to be cleared, but many of the projects that we have talked about for years will be completed when the work is done. We made new friends and reconnected with old friends during the storm. The calls of concern and support were a reminder that we are not alone.

Determination – I know that I am called to write. Journaling became my only release and I continue to journal about the experience. God put a desire and a purpose in my heart when it comes to writing and I have to be determined to push beyond all of the distractions (no matter what their packaging) to reach the place.

The storms of life come unexpectedly and sometimes with great devastation. But the sun comes up the next day. See past the debris and destruction and dig down for your hope. Never let the things that are right now hinder you from experiencing the blessing of tomorrow.

Let the faith that is planted in your heart through worship, study and prayer grow a testimony that you share through your words. Praise the Hand that guides and be determined to stay focused on Him no matter how the waves try to toss you about.

Extreme Couponing

By Genaire Walker

Extreme Couponing anyone?  I recently became a fan of Extreme Couponing, the new show broadcast on TLC.   Though I watched my first episode quite by accident, something interested me about people who dedicated  considerable time honing a skill that allowed them leave a grocery store with $1,100 dollars of groceries for a mere $52 bucks. 

Intrigued, I began to research and implement couponing in my own home (albeit with a less “Extreme” and more pragmatic approach).  One would think after years writing ads, I of all people, should be immune to “buy it now” web blinkies and 60 second shameless plugs for products and paychecks.

My first month of couponing revealed otherwise.  Not only was I faced with a sobering reality check of my stewardship habits, it forced me to take a hard look at the small fox that has found its way into too many of our homes – the need for instant gratification.

Even I was not immune to a culture where instant gratification is the norm.   Today, everything from our account balances to our oatmeal must be available in only a moment.  Lightening fast Wi-Fi connections allow us to get email, locate friends, share pictures and tweet -- instantly.  It seems everything that surrounds us screams:  SEE IT NOW! HAVE IT NOW! DO IT NOW! 

Much like other areas in my daily walk; couponing requires a serious mental shift, and a lot of change.  Retraining has been challenging to say the least. Here are a few of the things I have learned so far:

·         Couponing requires patience. Instant gratification must be eliminated for success. Extreme couponers only buy when it is the most profitable.  This means getting control of self.

·         The successful couponer has lost a sense of entitlement. They live on what is available and what is on sale, instead of insisting on favorite products, brands or timing. 

·         Couponers think exponentially, plan carefully and act confidently.  (Imagine if more people exhibited faith in this way!)

·         The best coupon clippers realize blessings can be multiplied.  If one is a good deal, why not multiply it and have an abundance share?

One of the best tips I saw on couponing came from www.grocerycouponguide.com.  An article suggests taking $20.00  and practice using coupons to donate as much as possible to a local food pantry.  Not only does this practice bless others, but it retrains the mind to let go of brand loyalty and bad spending habits.   Realizing that the author was able to donate thousands of dollars worth of food for only a few hundred got me excited to try and bless others on my meager budget!

As with any reality TV show, some of the people on Extreme Couponing have gone way overboard; complete with family drama; OCD arrangements of coupons and stockpiles that border on hoarding.  But applied in moderation, there are some valuable concepts to be learned.

 I won’t even pretend that I am going to live for months on $1 per day; dumpster dive for newspapers, or fill my home to the roof with toilet paper and ketchup.   I will, however, allow God to make me more thoughtful, hopeful, grateful and giving --- and save a few bucks in the process.  Now that’s a sweet deal!

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”

-          2 Cor 9:10 - NIV

National “I Believe” Day

By Lori Boruff

I declare today is National “I Believe” Day

I Believe...

I Believe spring is sprouting.

I Believe round pizza should come in a round box.

I Believe it's okay to wear socks that don't match.

I Believe Mr. Sun is always shining on someone.

I Believe in miracles.

I Believe a broken heart can mend.

I Believe Hope makes things happen.

I Believe Truth is more powerful than lies.

I Believe that God loved me first.

I Believe He sent his son to find me.

I Believe Jesus found me and I found him.

I Believe I'll be dancing forever in his presence.


What do you believe on National “I Believe” Day?
Tell your friends about this holiday and ask what they believe.


“For God so loved the world he gave his only
begotten son, that whoever believes in him (Jesus Christ) will not
perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

The Longing Heart

By Sr. Jeannette Doran, OCD

 
The human heart hungers for God. And our hearts are truly restless until they rest in God. With fear that our needs will not be met, we search in empty places for what will satisfy us. This continues the cycle of trying to fill ourselves with fruit from bare branches. One will not find lasting happiness. The longing in our hearts can only be filled with God.

John of the Cross writes that “the center of our soul is God”. In taking moments of quiet to enter into our inner depths and seek God, peace will penetrate our being.

Yet we say in our chaotic world how is it possible to find a real silence? The noise of news blares from all corners of our immediate world. This can draw us so quickly into the almost daily reports of roadside bombs in Afghanistan, and gun violence in families and cities across our country. How can one find this quiet space?

Personally, I've begun to realize interior peace is attainable, even if world wars exist. St. John of the Cross writes in the third book of The Ascent of Mount Carmel that peace and tranquility are such blessings that even if the whole world were to come to an end this should not disturb our peace. Victor Frankl wrote of his experience in the Nazi concentration camps. He reflected that when one focused on some gift of beauty each day such as the sight of the rosy hue of mornings light, one could survive and find meaning in life. Many who lived severe atrocities survived because they learned to do just this. We learn that even in seemingly unbearable circumstances we can cry out to God in the center of our soul.

It does take practice not to allow oneself to be overwhelmed in darkness but this can be done in becoming aware of the beauty in our lives. Awareness comes when we take time to touch the velvet rose petals and grasp the lovely lilies, to gaze at the gentle sky-blue pinks of dawn and the vibrant red-orange hues at sunset. It is realized when we understand why the deer longs for refreshing water surrounding us each day. The more we taste and see what beauty envelopes us we praise God for these gifts surrounding us each day. Above all when we fill our minds and hearts with holy thoughts, our serenity will be guarded and moment by moment we can hold on to a lasting joy. It is possible for the longing in our hearts for God to be satisfied.

How to forgive myself

BY BRENDA LYSAK

I was miraculously healed of Crohn’s disease when I was twenty seven years old, eleven years after diagnosis. That was the first time I felt loved. Thus began about an eight year search for God. I started attending church again.

Remarkably I was invited by my banker, Dave to get right with God in an unusual way. This was about a three year business relationship. He treated me as an equal. I remember feeling normal around him, all the while on a downward spiral in my personal life.

I grew up in a home where we went to church three times a week but knew nothing of a relationship with God. It was an angry, abusive, and an emotionally neglectful environment. The only emotion I remember is hate. I hated anyone who might have had something to do with my existence.

One day as I sunk deeper into despair, I wailed to God to please help me to be born again; I felt too stupid to figure it out! Even though I had responded to alter calls in my youth, I was haunted by 2 Corinthians 5:17. “When you are born again the old passes away and everything becomes brand new.” The old had instead gotten older and there was certainly no sign of anything new. I experienced deep disappointment with this awareness. I couldn’t give or receive love, was devoid of joy, hope, and faith. I was a very depressed, negative person.

Not too long after that desperate prayer, Dave told me that he knew something that would change my life. Read Romans chapters one through six every day for thirty days. He said that about day fifteen, I would start to get it. And that’s exactly what happened. Romans 1:19 says “God has shown who He is in Creation and written the truth on our hearts. Therefore you have no excuse.”

My moment of awakening is still very fresh in my memory. As I was reading I realized that I had excuses. Suddenly they felt evil. I was filled with enormous guilt, which opened my eyes for the first time to God’s remedy. Every aspect of being saved is addressed in those early chapters of Romans and I fed on those truths day after day, learning that believing is what saves me. Proof or good works are the result of believing.

Dave then encouraged me to add the corresponding chapter of Proverbs each day to the six chapters of Romans I was reading. After I had that down he added five chapters of Psalms. The Word became my daily lifeline. My mind was being washed with God’s ideas. The grip of despair lifted the moment I confessed sin of disbelief and began to trust and believe in God, but I would not realize that until months later.

I became aware of my sin, and lost my preoccupation with other peoples’ sin. This renewal was happening in spite of continued miserable circumstances surrounding me. I was engulfed with shame.

About three months later I realized that I loved God and understood that I had a relationship with Him. This awareness was new to me in every way as I had not experienced normal bonding with a parent.

After reading the whole book of Romans I went to the ‘card catalog’ at the beginning of my Bible to find the next book to read, just like I did at the library. I chose a book in the Old or New Testament and read it like I read any book. Some books of the Bible were short so I read them in a day. Others took several days. I checked each one off with a date as I finished them until I had read each of the sixty-six books.

This resulted in a new measuring stick for truth. I was surprised at God’s take on religion. The gospels give a quick picture of who God is. What a surprise to discover that losers such as myself were exactly who God was particularly interested in. I experienced emotional healing during this time. I had been numb or shut down inside. I can still remember the place and moment I noticed the absence of shame.

Ever since I experienced God through his Word, I have been amazed at the fads of Christianity that sweep through the Christian community. One such fad is the idea that I can forgive myself. I hear people talking about the need to forgive themselves but have not heard of anyone actually accomplishing it. The Bible never speaks of it. Perhaps it is impossible. When we confess our sins, according to 1 John 1:9 we are promised forgiveness. Forgiving ourselves ceases to be an issue.

I am excited that salvation is not just getting my big toe into Heaven someday, but it is for today. I discovered from reading books of the Bible like a book, Salvation is multifaceted; I can be saved from myself, and from situations with people, and from my past. I have no excuse, nor do I need one. I can become healthy and whole in every way.

Brenda Lysak 

I am a Preschool teacher and Certified Barton Tutor for Dyslexia. It's taken me a lifetime to crawl out of the pit I was born in and the ones I crawled in myself. My biggest step of healing after being born again in my spirit has been developing a career within my interests and abilities. I am very busy with teaching but still working out my salvation with fear and trembling. I love to ski when I get a chance to get outside. It helps speed up the long cold Manitoba winters.

Go Undercover

By Lori Boruff

    Undercover Boss is a favorite Sunday night program. A recent show inspired this little blog adventure.

    Featured boss of BELFOR, the world's largest disaster restoration company, was emotionally moved by four employees during his week undercover. According to the story, boss Sheldon Yellen and his three brothers were raised by a mother on welfare. His father was in and out of the home. Mother was the glue keeping her boys together.

    Yellen rose from rags to riches becoming President and CEO of BELFOR. He trades in his Italian suit for a uniform and begins working with the common man.

    He encounters:

• A contractor whose business suffered from tough economic times. He now works several jobs to recover his losses.
• Brenda, who shares being raised with nothing while living in a railroad car. She struggles to advance in the company because she cannot read.
• Another young man with his master’s degree in marketing cannot find work and takes this job to pay off student debt.
• Jen, who also struggles to make ends meet even before BELFOR carried out a wage freeze.

    After a life-changing week undercover and through humble tears, Yellen offers those dedicated employees promotions, vacations and financial rewards to ease their hardships. I cried through most of the program.

    But what really moved those workers to tears? They knew someone noticed. They felt significant.

    "That never happened before," expressed a grateful employee.

   Who in your world needs to be noticed? Who has never felt significant in their life? Who needs to know someone cares?

    Will you let God go undercover through you? Will you see the worn out waitress, cashier, delivery person or overwhelmed mom who longs to be noticed?

    By a simple act of kindness, conversation, time or finances – who will come to know that God Sees?

But from heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;

from His dwelling place He watches all mankind.

 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him,

on those whose hope is in His unfailing love.

 Psalm 33:13-14, 18-19 (NRSV)

It's how you treat a stranger that draws God's notice and his blessing.

Be Blessed,
Lori Boruff
309-582-7685

Webshop:  www.heartprintsofhope.com
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