Greetings!   

Everything about Imaculee's life shouted of failure...her inability to save her family and friends, the loss of trust after being betrayed by neighbors and long time friends, loneliness beyond imagination, grief without end.  But out of the rubble of her dismantled life came a joy beyond measure as she discovered God Amidst the Rawandan Holocaust. 

I have copies of Imaculee's story to loan if you would like to read about her life...just let me know, even if you live in California!  It is great Lenten reading.  This massacre took place in our time, 1994, a plane ride away, and we hardly noticed.

Perseverance is our virtue of the month.  Just  five weeks past January 1st, and our New Years Resolution seems far away.  Do we remember what we were hoping to change or accomplish, or would we just rather forget our failure of not reaching our goal?  If Imaculee could find success and joy because she did not give up, might not the same be around the corner for us as well? Might not our very failures be the beginning of our something great?

When we mix our mistakes, failures, wrongdoings, disappointments and even tragedies with hope, we have a recipe for the "joy of failure".

Wishing you all a month of great hope and renewed joy! 

Sharon Morris

Perseverance:

A few other people who "kept going" when the going was tough.

Albert Einstein 

 

 Most of us take Einstein's name as synonymous with genius, but he didn't always show such promise. Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven, causing his teachers and parents to think he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. Eventually, he was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. It might have taken him a bit longer, but most people would agree that he caught on pretty well in the end, winning the Nobel Prize and changing the face of modern physics.

 

Thomas Edison:  In his early years, teachers told Edison he was "too stupid to learn anything." Work was no better, as he was fired from his first two jobs for not being productive enough. Even as an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. Of course, all those unsuccessful attempts finally resulted in the design that worked.

  

Ludwig van Beethoven: In his formative years, young Beethoven was incredibly awkward on the violin and was often so busy working on his own compositions that he neglected to practice. Despite his love of composing, his teachers felt he was hopeless at it and would never succeed with the violin or in composing. Beethoven kept plugging along, however, and composed some of the best-loved symphonies of all time-five of them while he was completely deaf. 

 

Still a household Name!!!

 

The new year is a wonderful time for making resolutions, but since resolutions often require extraordinary effort, February is a great time to go after your goal with renewed energy.

 

 Remember that prayer, that personal conversation with God, will keep you focused on the important.

 

Find out what it is in your life and search for the joy that can come out of failure as you persevere and never give up! 

A few commets from our readers.  

From Joan in California:  "The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul."-G.K. Chesterton 

From Kathy in Akron:  We were always taught that "honesty is the best policy" and it is so good that you chose such a topic for us mere mortals esp. when looking at ourselves with that honest eye is convicting and sometimes painful....and too often avoided.  It takes great strength, and courage to break the chains that hold us back from advancing in holiness. I am sure that  the topic of perseverance is going to be a great follow-up to honesty and a moment of self-evaluation of resolutions made.....maybe the topic of perseverance could be reposted monthly ??!! :) Afterall, it is the key that opens the door to an honest, lasting conversion, right? Let us begin the race and persevere to the end!!!!  What we can do is honestly take baby steps into becoming a woman of grace and beauty from the inside out, one small step at a time.

From Irene in New Hampshire:  Strange? I think not ..........As i opened my email this AM here was my first message and right after prayer and deep thought of the past and coming year.I too want to find the ME that I know God wants me to be and  to have a fuller and happier life.  My hopes and plans for 2012 is to take what I have received from God ,,,,,,,,Hold on to his hand and let him guide not only my heart but my life as well! These updates always seem to come at the perfect time........GOD"S PERFECT TIME.

From Mary in Akron:    

The best alarm I have on my phone rings at noon every day to remind me to say the Angelus.  Just a thought. It was my son's idea. When he's at home
he finds me when our alarms go off and we say it together.

From Pat in Akron: 

Thansks for presenting this meditation. Each virtue is such a deep subject with far-reaching implications for how we live our lives.
 
I like to think of "living in the truth" (loosely taken from 1 John 1: 6), not just about needing to recognize our sins, but also to live in such a way that we are living according to reality. If I need 8 hours of sleep, I need to recognize that fact and discipline my life accordingly. If I need to exercise in order to stay healthy, I need to get rid of useless things in my schedule in order to get to the gym. I need to be "obedient" to what is right for me to live according to God's plan for my daily life.

From Suzanne in Akron:  Thank you for your honesty in writing this article.  I had to chuckle about your ignoring the first three alarms - and have to admit - early morning is not my best time of day.  Your points on honesty are timely.  During my prayer time this morning, before reading this email, I found myself being real honest with the Lord about my "human state" and the challenges I face in becoming a "better me."  We do have our work cut out for us but we also have a loving Savior who can do more than we ask or imagine.

From Geneva in Akron:   Thank your for stirring up the gifts within me. In the process of reviving Akron Shalom Ministries (non profit bible school)  I am reminded of the need for a course on time Management, a computer training class of the basics for my senior friends with each person creating their own website for ministry (like your own which is beautiful) and a c!ourse on "How to write a Book" where the student would write a book.  

Loved hearing from all of our readers.  Please keep the comments coming.  I love being inspired and encouraged by your words and then being able to pass on a few of the comments to others. 

Till Next Time...    Sharon