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Prayerful Morsels
Tidbits of Inspiration & Information
October 3, 2008 |
Morsels From the Editor
Welcome to all!
In this issue, I ponder about living in the present moment and offering that moment to God.
We welcome back guest writer, Karin Peavy, who reminds you that "You are Valuable to God."
I am also pleased to share with you some reader contributions to the Gratitude Journal. This is a place where we can write little thank you notes to God. Writing down and sharing what we are grateful for reminds us to thank our good God for his graces and blessings.
What's New - A Prayerful Quote, which will be a regular feature and Archives. We will archive each issue of Prayerful Morsels, and also have archives available of past issues if you missed any. You can find the links at my website, Seeking Graces.
If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, please feel free to write a Letter to the Editor. In fact, drop me a note if you would like to see in future issues some of my journal entries and photos from our trip to the Holy Land last year. It would not be too many.
Just tidbits. |
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Prayerful Quote Do what you can and then pray that God will give you the power to do what you cannot. -- St. Augustine (quoted by Ken Gire, in Between Heaven and Earth, HarperSanFrancisco,1997) | |
Personal Pondering
by Colleen Spiro
I was working on a mailing in the parish office the other day. I had to collate the pages, fold them, and stuff the envelopes, etc.
Boring.
My mind began to wander and I was suddenly reminded me of the first time that I really understood the idea of work being a prayer. I was volunteering at the monastery in Pecos, NM, where I had taken vows to become a Benedictine Oblate. I had been assigned to the gift shop, which needed a major reorganization and cleaning.
One day I was asked to polish some brass statues of Mary. It was such a beautiful day that I decided to bring them outside and polish them while I sat looking at the beautiful Pecos mountains. As I polished away, I spoke to Mary and Jesus and I prayed. I lovingly polished those statues like there was nothing more important in the world to be doing. I made that task a prayer in itself. And that was the first time I understood about work becoming a prayer.
I cannot always be in those beautiful mountains of New Mexico. I cannot always be polishing a statue of Mary. But there is something to be said about living in the present moment. Living in the present moment and paying attention and being aware of what we are doing and offering it all to the Lord.
Living the spiritual life is not always about experiencing spiritual highs or having a mountaintop experience. Living the spiritual life is about living a real life. It is about seeing God where we are. And serving God from where we live. And knowing that we are where we are supposed to be. Well, I think that is holy.
For God is with us wherever we are, doing whatever we do. And stuffing envelopes is as much of a call to service as sitting on top of a mountain. And God is just as present whether we stuff envelopes or fold laundry or polish statues.
After all, what had started out as a boring job, became, for me, a special moment of prayer. It never ceases to amaze me how God works in our lives.
At any moment.
At every moment. |
You Are Valuable to God
by Karin Peavy
In Matthew 13:44-45 Jesus tells a parable that sums up just how valuable we are to the Lord.
A man discovers a great treasure in a field. He hides it and then sells all he has in order to get enough money to buy the land. A merchant on the lookout for choice pearls discovers one of exceptional value. He then sells everything he owns to buy it.
You and I are the great treasure and pearl of great price. The man and the merchant represent God. We are so precious to our Heavenly Father that He gave us everything: Jesus.
We need to affirm everyday that we are people of extraordinary worth. We should look in the mirror and say out loud: "I am a treasure to the Lord. God Himself has given everything for me." As we do this again and again, our confidence will grow. Self-pity and feelings of victimization will flee. Faith will rise and we will see God move in our lives in powerful and unique ways.
Karin Peavy is the author of Hot Chocolate For the Spirit. She is also the Publisher of What is God Up to Today? a free, weekly ezine which is read by more than 3,000 subscribers in 9 countries. To learn more about Karin's ministry, visit: http://www.karinpeavy.com. |
| A Gratitude Journal
We are so grateful for St Katharine Drexel and the group of friends who nourished our faith that can never be forgotten. - Deacon Frank and Geri Jackson
I am grateful for my loving family!! - Steve Spiro
Paul was born 3 months premature 3 years ago, weighing 1 pound 10 oz, and only 12 inches long.Today he is a healthy, normal 3 yr. old. His mother survived after 4 blood transfusions. Thanks to the wonderful people at UPS where my son works, and their great insurance plan ... We are so blessed to have wonderful nurses and doctors at the NIC Unit in Fairview Park, OH. We know it was God who guided their professional hands and minds ... Thanks to St. Katharine Drexel, and many other prayer groups, we are eternally grateful. -Ginny Mercado and family
What are you grateful for today??? Is there something that you would like to thank God for and would like to share? Write to the Editor and put in the subject line - Gratitude. | |
| Colleen's memoir about surviving child sexual abuse, The Third Floor Window, A True Story of Secrets, Survival and Hope, is now on sale at Booklocker.com. For more info, see book website: The Third Floor Window. |
| Want to read more of Colleen's reflections? Go check out her blog HERE. | |
| Prayerful Morsels
Copyright 2008 Colleen Spiro - All Rights Reserved |
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