We live in a world hyper-focused on making the “outside cups” of life shiny and bright. Financial success, a flawless, fit figure, and perfectly polite and coiffed children get noticed. But who cares if a woman’s stomach is etched with stretch marks? (Jesus most certainly doesn’t.) She gave the gift of life and earned her mothering stripes. Does it really matter if the teen at Mass has purple hair if she’s deeply in love with Jesus? (Nope.) Does welcoming others into your homes and life require Pinterest-perfect décor? (No, all it takes is an open heart and an open door.)
Jesus reminds us today to turn away from the pull of superficial, self-indulgent whims and turn instead toward God and the eternal.
"Lord Jesus, fill me with your love and increase my thirst for holiness. Cleanse my heart of every evil thought and desire and help me to act kindly and justly and to speak charitably with my neighbor." Amen
Just a great reflection. Kate! Thank you so much. It’s so easy to get caught up in that “ self indulgent” mindset. Today I will pray that my self sacrifice will influence my children and grandchildren. They’ve got this stuff constantly swirling around them. Sis, thank you for your post yesterday. I am including your grandchildren in my prayers as well as mine. Love and light to the whole LFF. Praying for peace in our world.
Sorry Vicky, I meant your love for Garrett!!!
Vicky, your love for Sid is inspiring!!! It gives me a glimpse of God's love for me...Jeremiah 31:3bc, "He said, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails!"
Excuse me, I meant to write Sid.
Sid and peggyR, my heart hurts for you both. I don’t want to write a dissertation here but oh if only I could help just a little. Garrett was born with a physical anomaly (for which he had major reconstructive surgery at the age of 15 month at John’s Hopkins Hospital). From the 1st day he was born we also knew something wasn’t quite right. I could tell you all the nuances but you both know them plenty now. The docs at Hopkins told me he’d probably never be functional. He had light savant abilities. He was in all the early programs from 2 years on, came to a school with all the diagnosis and evaluation papers to help teachers along with so many IEP’s I can’t count. I worked with him at home, not easy with a progressing disability of my own, another son in school as well and a husband home only 1-2 weeks out of the month because of work. After multiple fights with the school system (back then autistic kids in regular classes wasn’t common, and I’d add not all but most teachers were very kind and tried), I started working with him 3 hours after each school day—he had no play time. I started to volunteer at school in the library and such so I could see what he couldn’t articulate (this was by now 3rd grade). I was appalled. I took him out and handed in my homeschool papers not having ever had any exposure to homeschooling ever. Oh where the Lord led me. I had no social life of my own and very little money to boot because I could no longer work being 24/7 with him. I would do every minute over. On his check up at 5 we had already gotten him to some words and interaction so when the Hopkins resident walked in the room he said excuse me and walked out—he came back with the Fellow who originally wrote the notes and the Fellow laughed with mirth because the resident thought he had the wrong chart and child! They said whatever you are doing keep doing it. We loved him. The advice that doc told us that day was “imagine someone told you every hour of everyday touch the back of your head with your tongue” and no matter how much you said you couldn’t they told you could and do it! It would not only cause a psychosis but anger issues.” This is what we do to these kids—tell them they can do something they can’t! But there are other things they can do. Garrett hated crayons or drawing but school (an especially nasty art teacher) insisted it was defiance. Years later when he could communicate better I found he didn’t like to draw or write because the images in his head wasn’t what came out on the paper—he said he saw a beautiful fish but he couldn’t make that fish on paper the way he saw it. I could go on and on but what I want for you both and for the children so badly is to not have those kids angry at the world because the world doesn’t allow them to be different. Garrett graduated high school at the age of 19, his math skills are exceptional—working with Horizon’s colored picture pages as he couldn’t handle a page of just black numbers. He also still stammers badly (different than stuttering) and has a very difficult time understanding others verbally (he takes everything VERY literally) and verbally expressing himself. We helped him find part time employment for disabled kids as a sort of janitor—and yes people can treat him mean. But the biggest difference with him is we taught him not to lash out or be physically violent….which means we have to talk him down from a days work 9 time out of 10 and we accept it even though it’s a tough every day. But I’ve seen others (since I had him in programs for others like him—bowling every Wednesday, tennis every Friday, homeschool events/parties/sports) and many of these kids were violent or so overly medicated they can’t function well. (I did try the meds they offered and had a horrible BP reaction where he passed out or vomited—NOT!). I don’t know if either of you can make the commitment to homeschool or hire a one on one but if you can let them be themselves without forcing them to “fit in” all the time. That doesn’t mean there are no rules and boundaries as we saw many parents do this too with bad outcome but pushing them to their potential without going over the cliff. Oh that I could help you and others I wish! Because I taught him how to learn—an example he went for his regular drivers license at 19…he failed the computer test twice…and responded “they are just trying to get my money” lol. So here is where I stepped in, “Garrett you can’t have pen & paper or your phone but you can use your finger to draw the scenario on the desk so you can ‘see’ it in your mind—nothing stopping you there.” he passed, and went on to do the hands on testing and the lady couldn’t hold her excitement when she told my husband that he was the only testee she ever had that got 100% on the street test! He did not do driving school-my husband took that on. He likes driving—he can do this alone but with limited exposure to others. So he wanted his CDL. He got the book, studied himself (at then age 24 because this is never overnight) with a lot of encouragement along the way. Passed that testing too. He got one driving job but because he wasn’t ‘fast’ enough they had him sign a ‘resignation’ letter because he didn’t understand what it meant except he was ‘fired’. He came home crying and now no unemployment because they knew how to manipulate him—I won’t list the company but they are all over the U.S. A family run shredding company decided to give him a chance —he has now gotten a lot of experience at interviews (and btw he has worked from janitor to manufacturing during the 19 years old to almost 27). We pray each day he is safe on the road and that he has a good day. He outworks all the other men to even get a bonus when a client came into the office to tell the boss how well he did the job. He drives all over GA & sometimes FL in a 33,000lb truck and shreds big trash bins of sensitive info everything from prisons to hospitals to book stores. He loves it but everyday there is a story sometimes of people not very nice or not understanding his intentions—he still has some ticks and facial expressions that are misunderstood. Maybe I’m trying to say God is asking us to not just love in heart but to do as Jesus did and work to the bone to heal and accept and forgive what “neither his parents nor he sinned” to be this way. peggyR you’ve remained in my prayers for a year or more and Sid I will add you to my everyday prayers too. I so hope God will allow you and those precious children to feel their effects. God love you both!
Sorry, I meant your love for Garrett!!!
Vicky, your love for Sid is inspiring!!! It gives me a glimpse of God's love for me...Jeremiah 31:3bc, "He said, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails!"
Oh Vicki, this is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Thank you for the hope you give us and the persistence and dedication you have shown to the upbringing of your son. There are angels among us. Thank you for being one, amen.
My dear, loving Vicky, how can I thank you for all your prayers, encouragement, life situations, and genuine love and kindness for our Zachary? You give me hope for the future, and being a grandparent is definitely a challenge to watch what’s going on. I can only be comforted by your letter of Love for these children who are so grossly misunderstood.
Lord please hear our prayers and bring your light to all those experiencing natural disasters, as well as those in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur, the Sudan, in addition to all those suffering around the world - also for their strength, courage and resilience to continue walking in faith. Send them your light. Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world! You sent Your Son, the Prince of Peace, for the salvation of the world. We pray that the Peace of Christ will reign in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur and Sudan. Please protect and send aid to those in need and all who are at-risk. We pray for peace and rebuilding– we who are working towards it and for all those who are suffering or in danger from conflicts. We pray for an end to violence and war – we pray for wisdom for all leaders who have a hand in this. Lord God please help those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.
Sacrifice: "Good is never accomplished except at the cost of those who do it, truth never breaks through except through the sacrifice of those who spread it," St. John Henry Newman
Thanks Kate. God gave us people (each other) to love and things to use. True love comes from the heart, not the muscle and tissue powerhouse organ, but from the heart of who each of us is. When we build relationships from heart-to-heart communication watch the smiles, the sun rise and the birds sing in a new way. The things that surround us, our nice to haves, fade in significance and leave us unencumbered to be real.
"Help fill my soul with love and goodness." Amen!
*** Salina Smith BSF Prayer Request 10/15/24 *** Students – Pray that the students understand what is repentance and know how to repent: to be sorry for sin, ask God for His forgiveness, than turn away from sin to do what pleases God! Revelation 3:3a, “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent!” *** Salina - Pray with me for Jessi and her 12-hour rotations 6 days a week at the ICU for the next 4 weeks in Habakkuk 3:19, “Lord and King gives me strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He helps me walk on the highest places!” And that her peace with her residency applications due 10/15 comes from the Lord and not of this world! ******* Lord Jesus, I am grateful that You are faithful in answering ALL my requests in Your ways and Your timing! I can't wait to see how all the requests above will turn out :-) Amen ❤️✝️❤️
Including Jessi in my prayers today, Salina. She’s young and strong and determined, and with God’s help she will barrel through her rotations and I pray that her residency is a perfect fit for her with all the gifts she’s been given from Our Dear Lord.
Lord, walk with Jessi during her rotation and give her strength, energy and persistence to finish with strong energy, wisdom and cheer. Amen.
Thank you, Vicky! 12 hours 6 days a week may be what is expected...BUT GOD!!! The God thing is He can change what is on paper, on schedule, and on expectations :-) And if He doesn't, Jessi will benefit from the hard schedule and the experiences with patients/attending doctors/nurses/other medical students according to His plan :-)
Prayers for Jessi—that’s a hard schedule. I never agreed with that kind of schedule but obviously that hasn’t changed in medicine.
What is important to you when it comes to religious customs and traditions? *** Here is what (religious custom/tradition of washing before meal of their own creations/rules) was important to the Pharisee in Luke 11:37-38, "Jesus finished speaking. Then a Pharisee invited him to eat with him. So Jesus went in and took His place at the table. But the Pharisee was surprised. He noticed that Jesus did not wash before the meal!" *** Here is what (God being source of both inside and out of His creation) was important to Jesus in Luke 11:39-40, "Then the Lord spoke to him (Pharisee). “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish,” He said. “But inside you are full of greed and evil. You foolish people! Didn’t the One Who made the outside make the inside also? *** Jesus' warnings in Luke 11:42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 52, "How terrible it will be for you Pharisees......." ******* Matthew 23:27-28, "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness!" *** Don't be an ignorant hypocrite!!! It is not about the 'what' in following the laws/rules but rather 'Who' I am following!!! *** Galations 5:4-6, "Some of you are trying to be made right with God by obeying the law. You have been separated from Christ. You have fallen away from God’s grace. But we long to be made completely holy because of our faith in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit we wait for this in hope. Circumcision (rules) and uncircumcision (no rules) aren’t worth anything to those who believe in Christ Jesus. The only thing that really counts is faith that shows itself through love!" *** Ephesians 2:8-10, "God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your Salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. We are God’s creation. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good works. Long ago God prepared these works for us to do!" ******* It is relationship and not a religion!!!
Kate thank you for words of inspiration. Love from the heart of God is the truest love. Blessings to all the LFF especially those with extra needs these days. May we spread the love of God through all the world like a wildfire! From the depths of our hearts.
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Thanks for reminding us Kate that our gifts of imperfection reflect our humanity. We all experience brokenness. Allow my wholeness in God to show through the rest. Also, lifting all of us whose children and grand-children are of concern for multiple reasons. Call all guardian angels to intercede. Amen.