Pets!!!!

Meet Tallula Belle!  I’ve had her for a good 5 years.  I got her from an abused animal shelter.  I didn’t realize that when I adopted her (and the adoption interview...Now THAT’S a hilarious story that I or Fr. Steve will share some day).

Anyway one thing I and many others have noticed is that with at least both dogs & cats they are very good at detecting when their owners (ok, cats OWN their humans- not the other way around, but I digress) are sad, happy or ill.  Dogs can actually detect cancer cells in research studies!  The nerd in me had to share that with you.

So this fragile emotionally closed off cat will follow me around 24/7 and demand to lay next or on me every time I’m sick.  My slight cold has turned into bronchitis, not terribly bad but very annoying, and it’s like she’s trying to play nursemaid to me!  It’s so adorable!!  Gives deeper meaning to the fact that the divine runs through us all!  Ok, last nerd fact for this post: all living things, plants, animals, microbes... everything is made of the same for DNA base pairs!  Talk about “We are all one body”!

It should be noted that when I hit up a friend for free medical advice, she is a nurse as her Mom, next thing I know she’s showing up at my place w/ loads of hot chicken noodle soup & I think she bought all the OTC meds she could get her hands on!!!!!  Now that’s pretty awesome too!

Happy 3rd week of Advent!!!

Breaking Down Barriers

Happy Monday!!!

Today I had lunch with a friend from the Turkish American Society of Chicago.  One of the things we spoke of was the importance of breaking down cultural & religious barriers.  To see each other simply as people not as Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindi and what not.  There is a great documentary called Beyond Our Differences that I highly recommend.  It speaks of how Sacred Scriptures is often twisted by fringe groups or individuals to further their own political or personal agendas.  How we need to look not at how we might be different but how we are alike.  How we all want essentially the same things in life.

Do you know what’s great about different cultures & religions!?!  It gives us the opportunity (if we take it), to see life & the divine from a perspective we may never have thought of!  It allows us to expand our world views and to grow as humanity.  We could dare to ask, “Why does your faith or culture do that”?  Not in a rude or mocking way but in a true inquisitive way.  In a way that says “I had never thought of it that way!  Now I have something to reflect upon.  Thank you”!

Seek diversity.  The more you seek it, the less diverse we become.

The Holidays as a peek into the Divine

Today, after a wonderful visit with four former coworkers I did a little shopping! I honestly have been too busy or too tired to do much shopping.  What I love about this time of year is how everyone is in a much more giving mood!  Strangers greet each other with smiles and hold the door open for each other.  Sad thing is why don't we always do that?  What prevents us for having  this warm and fuzzy feeling all year? This is where we stodgy adults need to learn from young children.  They are kind and smile to all!

I know we have to be careful about safety but what about taking true Hospitality more seriously and making it a part of who we are?  Greeting others with warmth knowing they too are the beloved of God.  Or maybe it's because we have a difficult time believing that we, ourselves, are the beloved of God and therefore can't live from that thruth much less pass it on to others!?!

Growing into the knowledge that we ALL are the beloved of God is something that is part of our faith journey.  We must first learn to love ourselves and know that we are utterly loved by God before we can pass that love on to all those we meet.

It's a journey but one we need to chose to embark on.  I do my best to do so but admit I have struggled at times...sometimes I have struggled a lot to believe I am utterly loved by God, but I am!  I/we also need to learn to love ourselves.  Only then can we pass that every growing love of God to everyone!

When we get to that point, we can bring the Holiday magic to the everyday all year long!

Wishing you peace, love & joy!

Gaudete!

Good Morning!

We are quickly approaching the third week of Advent!  Sunday the 3rd candle will be light on the Advent wreathe, it represents Joy which is why we call it Gaudete Sunday.  Gaudete meaning "Joy" in Latin.

I gives me pause to reflect on the joys in my life.  The past 2-3 year have been particularly dark for me for numerous reasons but in the midst of that so many people have been there to hold me & minister to me!  They are truly "Joys" in my life, God working through them to journey with me.

Even now that I'm in a much better place spiritually & emotionally my friends continue to be there for me!  One family invites me to Sunday dinner every Sunday since August & is sure to send me home w/ several days of leftovers, another friend texts me at 2am sometimes saying "I'm craving breaded shrimp, come over & I'll make some and we can catch up!".  Sometimes it pays to have insomnia!!!!  I have a standing Friday "Girls Night" with another friend & her family.  Several former coworkers keep in touch which means the world to me.

See, in just a few minutes I was able to come up with oodles of people in my life that are images of God for me.  All we have to do is set aside our complaints, worries and negativity and we then find so much of the Divine surrounding us!

God is always reaching out to us, we just have to quiet ourselves long enough to listen & accept.

Wishing you a joyous Friday & upcoming 3rd week of Advent!

Plus, there are flurries outside now, so you know I'm giddy as a child!!!

Shalom!

Excitement is in the air!

With only a few weeks until Christmas, it's such an exciting time!  It's down right cold outside which makes me very grateful for heated car seats and hot herbal teas!

Yet with the coldness of the weather our hearts feel especially warm and bursting at the seems with love of all humanity.  It helps to remind me how much we each touch each other's lives.  You never know when a smile gave that person the lift they needed right at that moment.  Conversely, we never know how negative words affect others (and even ourselves knowing we said them).

My challenge for today for myself to to be mindful of all I say & how I act.  To be a positive force in the universe!

Have a wonderful & peace filled day!

Peace!

I'm a novice blogger but thought this might be a good way to express my spirituality and potentially reach out to others as well.  I will blog about the ups and downs of my days and my desire to find God in the good/bad/and ordinary.

So wish me luck!

Peace!