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I am re-reading One Thousand Gifts for the third time–the second being immediately after I finished it the first time.  Have I told you how much this book has changed my life? 😉  And I keep coming across things I want to quote here . . . but it wouldn’t really be fair to Ann Voskamp for me to do that, would it?  If you haven’t read it yet, you really must.  I haven’t yet come across anyone who hasn’t been so glad to have read it.

Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.   ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

I have made it a tradition every January to refer you to a post of mine from a January past: “God loves to light little lights”  I wrote it the year that I discovered that St. Peter’s keeps its creche up until February 2, which, I think, is a marvelous idea.  Think about it for yourself!

Ann Voskamp’s take on this psalm: “When it’s hard”

One of our Sisters is celebrating her birthday today.  We have a strange custom of decorating the bathroom the night before the person’s birthday, so she is greeted first thing in the morning with birthday wishes.  This Sister did not expect this, however, because she was staying at one of our other houses overnight.  That’s the background.

She got up this morning, went to the bathroom, looked in the toilet and saw something red floating there.  She started asking herself: “What is that?!  Is it a bug?!”  A few moments later, she looked up to see all the decorations she had missed when she first walked in.  Including a note about  how beautifully and wonderfully made she was. The “floater” was confetti that one of the Sisters had tossed into the toilet water.  (Like I said . . . strange custom.)  By only looking in the toilet, she had missed the other decorations.

Spiritual lesson to be learned here: Don’t spend your life looking in the toilet and missing the eternal realities.  Lift up your eyes and heart!  😉

Last night at the talk I referred to a post from a couple of years ago.  I thought I would re-post it here.  Little words can be very significant in the Bible.  Here’s what I shared about the little word, “but”:

Today’s little word from those circled in my bible comes from Ps 102, verse 12: “but”.  The previous verses are a litany of personal suffering.  As Derek Kidner describes it: “The cry of one whose sufferings are unexplained.”  When one’s suffering is unexplained, it makes the suffering even more intense.  The psalmist pours forth his woe: “My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; I forget to eat my bread.  Because of my loud groaning, my bones cleave to my flesh. . . I lie awake, I am like a lonely bird on the housetop . . .  for you have taken me up and thrown me away.”  These are dire cries from a forsaken soul.

Yet, out of this heartfelt suffering rises the little word, “but”–and that word makes all the difference: “BUT you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations.  You will arise and have pity on Zion.”  Etc.  An incredible act of trust and courage.  This is indeed heroic hope.  A hope and trust placed not in one’s circumstances but in Someone who can be trusted because of Who He is and Whose word never fails.

May this little word encourage each of us.  May we pray for the grace to use it in the midst of our own litanies, that we, too, may say: “BUT you, O Lord, are the lover of my soul.  Your steadfast love endures forever.  Your mercies are new every morning.  Great is your faithfulness.”

Today is the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.  St. Gregory the Great, in one of his homilies, tells us what each of their names mean: “Michael means ‘Who is like God?’; Gabriel is ‘The Strength of God’; and Raphael is ‘God’s Remedy.'”  I started thinking about how often I pray to St. Michael–daily–but how I never pray to the other two.  I need God’s strength every day, and I could be praying to Gabriel for that every day.  I know so many people and situations that need “God’s Remedy” and could be interceding to Raphael for them.  May we all take more advantage of these heavenly helpers God has provided for us.

Magnificat has a wonderful meditation today.  You can read part of it here.

Continuing from yesterday:

1 Chron 27.30  And over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite.

Jehdeiah’s name meant “Union of Jah”. [Note: “Jah” is shortened version of Yahweh.]  I once had a letter from a man who was trying to run a big political organization in India.  He said he had sympathy with Paul, who wrote in 1 Cor 15.32 that he had fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, but he was quite sure it was still harder to fight with asses.

I am glad that we do not have to fight with asses, but we certainly have to look after them sometimes.  I wonder if Jehdeiah found comfort in his name?  Work like his needs patience, firmness, kindness, and these good things are not naturally in us.  John 15.5, WITHOUT Me you can do nothing, is a word all who have to do with asses understand.  But WITH Me–that is the secret.  God in us can be patient and kind, even with poor asses.

God make all of us who have to do with asses His Jehdeiahs.

I am launching another blog, Wonder and Beauty.  I think the title says it all, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

A simple verse from the Song of Songs that is balm for our souls.  The love of God for us: Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. (Song of Songs 8.7)