It will decide everything.

 "Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything."

Pedro Arrupe, S.J.

Shine Brightly

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.

Source: A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson, as quoted by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech, 1994

Snippet

God is in the trees.
He's in the wind that kisses the leaves,
in the breasts of birds that fly on wounded wings.

A Lenten Make-Over

For Lent this year, I had a hard time thinking of something to give up. Whenever I try to give up something (i.e. Diet Coke, chocolate, or something else impossible), it never works. That's why this year, I wanted to do something instead, like an act of good works, or something to that effect. I am thinking instead that I will do a little of both. I need to stop cursing if I am going to be a teacher. So to stop the knee-jerk potty mouth excretions, I have decided to put 25 cents into a jar for every curse that I say during Lent. Just so you know how bad my cursing issue is, I already have $1.00 just from the commute to work this morning, the first day of Lent. Ack! When Lent is over, I plan to donate the money that accumulates in the jar to my church or other charitable organization.

Part II of my Lenten plan is to call loved ones that I have not spoken to in awhile to reconnect. I am thinking that I will take every Tuesday and Thursday and call two people each night. It all sounds do-able to me. Let's see if I stick to my grand Lenten scheme. Hopefully, it will not be like "New Year's Resolutions: Round Two," as my friend Lauren coined last night. Here's hoping!