Monday, May 29, 2017
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Digging In and Listening Hard
I can't tell you why, but for some reason I have started running and lifting weights again. In part I believe I have been doing it because I realized one day what a gift God has given me with this life, and I want to make the most of it. I want to be as smart as I can, understanding, healthy and as spiritual sound as possible. Life is too short why waste it right? Yesterday I came home from a hard day at work and I didn't want to run. In part because I was tired and sore, and in part I was worried that I wouldn't be able to break my previous time. With that inner struggle I went out and ran and dug deep into myself refusing to get up. I looked at my stopwatch only twice. With my first glance it was obvious to me that I wasn't going to break my time. I wanted to stop right there, "what was the point?", I thought. Instead I continued to strive and when I got home and crossed "my line" I looked. I had indeed beat my previous time. I am getting older and I know that one of these days I won't make my time and if I continue I will actually get slower and slower, so what's the point right?
I'm Catholic, and if you're not you might think that some of what I am about to say is, well, odd. That's okay but know that this isn't necessarily a Catholic post. I'm not out to convert you to Catholicism, but I do encourage you to pray and search for a relationship with Jesus Christ. He's a really cool guy. On my run last night I refused to give up but my run was a cakewalk compared to what Christ endured his last day on this earth. They spit in his face, beat, whipped him and nailed him to a cross, mostly because people of power were afraid of him. What was the point right? Why go through all that? Jesus loves you so much that he took the blame for all the wrong that you and everyone else had done and would do and he let himself be sacrificed for you. He loves you personally, yes personally that much. Jesus didn't see humanity as some faceless crowd. He sees humanity for each one of its participants individually and loves you for who you are. The night before he gave us one of the greatest gifts of all. He gave himself. He gave us the sacrament of the Eucharist so that we can take Jesus into ourselves this very day to strengthen us, because he loves us and understands that this life is hard.
He gives us this gift and calls us to follow him. He calls us to become a part of his Church so that we don't have to be alone. He invites us to light up
this world with love, because he loves this world and wants us all to find our way home. Our home is Heaven. We were made to share in God's divinity. God loves us that much that he wishes to share all with us, but we have to choose. God will not force anything upon us. God is not some sort of benevolent tyrant that will make us do his will and keep all harm from us. He gives us free will and unfortunately we all too often choose sin. God became man and sent his son Jesus to this earth. He walked, taught and loved. He cured and forgave sins. Most of all he shone as an example of how He wanted us to live. How He wanted us to love. How He wanted us to serve each other. Do I love each day the way Jesus would want me to? No, sadly I do not. Why, mostly because I fear the world or what people would think. It's sad it really is. I am better than I once was but I still have a long way to go, but that's okay. I am still on the path and I have the amazing gifts that Jesus left for me. I have his Church, the Sacraments and his words and actions in the Bible to follow. What I cherish most of all though is my personal time with him. Those moments in which I sit with him and peace and quiet and converse with Jesus in prayer. Whether I have had a good or bad day Jesus is there waiting to hear whatever I choose to share. I will admit though, that there are times when I don't say a word. It's not default in our world today, but I sit in silence and just experience his presence and listen. Do I hear a big booming voice which tells me which way to go? No most of the time I will hear the whisper of my conscience pulling me in an odd direction, many times not one that I would choose for myself, but when I do follow I find peace. The world is loud for a reason. Distractions are in every corner. I make no bones about the fact that I realize that I have been born into a spiritual war. My soul is up for grabs. Jesus wants to save me but the devil wants to damn me. It's my choice thought who I choose to listen to.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Slave, Servent or Self?
You know as a Christian I used to think that I was walking a tightrope at times. I didn't want to be shouted down from my faith. It's easy for this to happen. You try to share and move through the world as a Christian but the world says that you should keep your faith at home. That your faith has no place at school or work. That you should even keep your faith for Sunday where it belongs. Don't even worry about praying at the dinner table because there are so many other things to discuss anyway. Focus on what's important, keep the "God stuff" for Sunday between 9am - 10am where it belongs. Problem with that is my faith then became sort of a charm of many on a bracelet, something pretty and nice but nothing of too much concern. Convexly, I didn't want to dive into my faith so hard that it was all just posturing and the actual point to my faith was lost. I didn't want to attend Mass on Sunday, just to be seen. I didn't want to pray "greatly" with beautiful words that were just for show and had no real meaning behind them. I have learned (for now) that it isn't a tightrope that I am walking. It's merely walking though life honestly and true. My focus is God, my love for him, my study of him and my best attempts to live the humble life that Jesus Christ laid out for me.
Okay, well that's a great idea you may think, but what exactly does that look like. How does that play out on an average day. I'll be honest, I'm not going to tell you what to do. God calls us all to different lives and vocations. We are each a puzzle piece beautiful and unique but when locked together we become a great picture that is something so much bigger than ourselves. Often we don't even see what many of the other pieces look like, let alone have the ability to see the "big picture". For me and many others I know though we try our best to focus on service. We put ourselves in the service of God with the talents we have and we put ourselves in service of others whether those people or Christian or not. We love as Jesus called us to. We become a slave to Jesus, not to sell our lives off as we believe we are nothing, but as slaves that we surrender in totality and keep nothing of ourselves for ourselves. You maybe thinking, "Uh, okay... why?" It is because when we are successful and we surrender as Jesus calls us to we find love, true unbridled love. We find peace and joy that sustains us through any hardship. It's a matter of surrendering to that puzzles so that by being a part of something greater our role in this world can truly manifest 100% as we can shine as the beautiful creation of God that we are.
As I sit here I imagine Jesus, the Son of God. Mighty in more ways than I could ever even imagine. God could create with mere thought and word yet he humbled himself to come to this earth as a fragile baby. He could have chosen to have his son born to the finest house with the most respect, but instead he was born to a family that couldn't even get a room at an in and was born in a stable. Jesus could have attained power and sat on a seat of judgement and ruled over all, but instead he chose to walk the county-side and serve. He served the blind and helped them see. He served the lame and helped them walk. He served the dead and their loved ones and brought them back to life. Jesus on the eve of his horrible death even knelt and washed the feet of his Apostles. Jesus loved and served completely and so I try as I may each day as well.
It can seem like a heavy weight to bare at times. It's no surprise that many don't choose this path or rather don't understand it. When do you know that you are right? When do you realize that you have gone to far? Is that even possible? How do you even think of trying to live this lifestyle, let alone execute it? It's really quite simple. It's a matter of letting
go and letting God in. It's a matter of spending time in prayer listening to God, but also then spending time in prayer in complete silence so that you can hear God talking to you. It's about letting go of "yourself" so that you can be present in the moment and to be truly aware of God's desires for you. But know this, giving up yourself doesn't mean that you will give "you" up. It is a matter of giving up the old broken down you that barely makes it around the block without backfiring or breaking down for the you that runs at peak performance, but don't forget to still get yourself in for a tune-up on a regular basis.
Some of this may sound odd or even obscure. Don't worry about it. Go with it. God is calling and no matter what your age, the best days are still to come when they are with God.
Michael Smith
Okay, well that's a great idea you may think, but what exactly does that look like. How does that play out on an average day. I'll be honest, I'm not going to tell you what to do. God calls us all to different lives and vocations. We are each a puzzle piece beautiful and unique but when locked together we become a great picture that is something so much bigger than ourselves. Often we don't even see what many of the other pieces look like, let alone have the ability to see the "big picture". For me and many others I know though we try our best to focus on service. We put ourselves in the service of God with the talents we have and we put ourselves in service of others whether those people or Christian or not. We love as Jesus called us to. We become a slave to Jesus, not to sell our lives off as we believe we are nothing, but as slaves that we surrender in totality and keep nothing of ourselves for ourselves. You maybe thinking, "Uh, okay... why?" It is because when we are successful and we surrender as Jesus calls us to we find love, true unbridled love. We find peace and joy that sustains us through any hardship. It's a matter of surrendering to that puzzles so that by being a part of something greater our role in this world can truly manifest 100% as we can shine as the beautiful creation of God that we are.
As I sit here I imagine Jesus, the Son of God. Mighty in more ways than I could ever even imagine. God could create with mere thought and word yet he humbled himself to come to this earth as a fragile baby. He could have chosen to have his son born to the finest house with the most respect, but instead he was born to a family that couldn't even get a room at an in and was born in a stable. Jesus could have attained power and sat on a seat of judgement and ruled over all, but instead he chose to walk the county-side and serve. He served the blind and helped them see. He served the lame and helped them walk. He served the dead and their loved ones and brought them back to life. Jesus on the eve of his horrible death even knelt and washed the feet of his Apostles. Jesus loved and served completely and so I try as I may each day as well.It can seem like a heavy weight to bare at times. It's no surprise that many don't choose this path or rather don't understand it. When do you know that you are right? When do you realize that you have gone to far? Is that even possible? How do you even think of trying to live this lifestyle, let alone execute it? It's really quite simple. It's a matter of letting
go and letting God in. It's a matter of spending time in prayer listening to God, but also then spending time in prayer in complete silence so that you can hear God talking to you. It's about letting go of "yourself" so that you can be present in the moment and to be truly aware of God's desires for you. But know this, giving up yourself doesn't mean that you will give "you" up. It is a matter of giving up the old broken down you that barely makes it around the block without backfiring or breaking down for the you that runs at peak performance, but don't forget to still get yourself in for a tune-up on a regular basis.Some of this may sound odd or even obscure. Don't worry about it. Go with it. God is calling and no matter what your age, the best days are still to come when they are with God.
Michael Smith
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Do You Feel That Presence?
God, in your presence and sharing your words brings such peace and joy. Help me to stay in the moment today with you helping others in need.
People may wonder, "why do you care about being so connected to God? Life is fun and God just slows you down."
To be honest I chased the "dream" for a long time. I had a good job, made good money, but I was in the position where I was still feeling empty. Despite my friends and relationships I just couldn't find what would fulfill me and make me happy. I wanted that deep peaceful serenity. I found that though my faith.
Through my faith I have learned to love and through that I feel a love, compassion, joy and serenity that I have never felt with anything else. There are no hangovers, or crashes after a typical synthetic high. With Jesus as my savior and in constantly in my life even my worst days are better than my best days on my own chasing pleasure after pleasure.
I highly recommend it. God is waiting for you right now if he's not already in your life. He won't force himself on you because that is not how true love works. All you have to do is ask him and he will provide, maybe not the way that you want, but the way that you need.
People may wonder, "why do you care about being so connected to God? Life is fun and God just slows you down."
To be honest I chased the "dream" for a long time. I had a good job, made good money, but I was in the position where I was still feeling empty. Despite my friends and relationships I just couldn't find what would fulfill me and make me happy. I wanted that deep peaceful serenity. I found that though my faith.
Through my faith I have learned to love and through that I feel a love, compassion, joy and serenity that I have never felt with anything else. There are no hangovers, or crashes after a typical synthetic high. With Jesus as my savior and in constantly in my life even my worst days are better than my best days on my own chasing pleasure after pleasure.
I highly recommend it. God is waiting for you right now if he's not already in your life. He won't force himself on you because that is not how true love works. All you have to do is ask him and he will provide, maybe not the way that you want, but the way that you need.
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