FREED OF SELF, WE ARE FREED

...transformation begins with learning to see and love the world as it is. -- From Fr Richard's Daily Meditation, April 29, 2025.

Upon reading that, my immediate thought was, "Ain't that the truth!" 

I recalled that began my travel time between first thought, taking action, learning the lesson of resist not and finally letting go...the majority of the time. 

Many years ago when that realization first came to me, I was thinking only of self transformation. At the time, I was overweight so I joined Weight Watchers...which was right just not the deeper right I needed and would come to.

I have come to accept that no travel time...no self-realization travel time...is wasted. Looking back, the memory confirms my spiritual growth...or, sometimes better, it's good for a laugh.

Self transformation to me today is the gutbucket acceptance that my warts are God's gold...without my warts, my less-thans, my self-centered objectives, I would have spent my life wandering in the wilderness of my own thoughts, wondering what-to-do, what-to-do...or, relying on that which first got me stuck to get me unstuck, my will, my way. 

There is no God in that...he hovers nearby, but self-will blocks all but self-want.

The great and glorious happening is, fueled by self will, we crash and burn, ready at last to be lifted by grace and by God to a changed mind. 

That's it. Our mind is changed! 

We accept our work to do, we are gifted with willingness...and in God's good time, we are happy, joyous and freed.  We pray thank You.

Thank you.

ON PRAYING "THANK YOU," THE PEARL

We have to find our inner authority through Christ in us; we have to find our purpose in our love of God and neighbor, and actions of mercy and justice. Otherwise, we’re not offering anything that the world doesn’t already have or can’t find in other places. —Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation, January 4, 2025

To me, finding...or recognizing?...the Christ in us is our most difficult task since self-will is useless...meaning, duh, our most difficult task is not our task...it is our gift. 

Looking back, we feel a bit gob smacked, a bit dumb, blessed...it is so obvious after the fact of living it. Only "looking back" takes as long as it takes...we slowly learn the gift of thank You when faced with a less-than...an I-don't-wanna...or more truthfully I don't think I can. 

There it is! There's the lesson. Unknowingly, we know at the outset. I don't think I can is pure truth. Only when we realize it is God speaking, do we know and grow. 

I can't, God can, I let him...and pray 'thank You.' 

Thank you.

THINK SMALLER...TRUST GOD'S TIME

For anyone walking through the political mishmash in America today...we need to trust. 

Trust that which we say we believe...God has us in the palm of his hand. That takes a lifetime of walking it, not just talking it. 

A reminder: The three-minute exercise that we try to do daily: Pray Dear God, For America...then let God do the rest. 

In trust, we stay in the silent prayer of thank You. 

The reasoning mind...or even the spiritually fit human...will resist. Our minds are born to think...except that thinking delays trust. 

These are some of the steps we take to become entirely ready, willing and able to accept unto doing God's will, God's way...in God's time.

Thank you.

THY WILL, THY WAY...BY UNEARNED GRACE

None of us crosses over this gap from death to new life by our own effort, our own merit, our own purity, or our own perfection. Each of us is carried across by unearned grace. —Richard Rohr 

This is the time of remembrance for Pope Francis and his goodness. He...his goodness...is much on my mind along with our president...his less-than goodness and what that is foretelling...for America, for the world.

By unearned grace, America stands for the consciousness of the world...the best in each and all whether we know it or not. America does not stand alone, America stands with and for the world. 

According to me.

Thank you.

OUR TIME IS NOW...PRAY THANK YOU

What if we never stopped making Easter claims about Jesus in AD 33, but always continued by making Easter claims on us today—declaring that now is the time to be raised from the deadness of fear, hostility, exclusion, and violence to walk in what Paul called 'newness of life'? -- Brian McLaren, "Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation," April 25, 2025

This describes metaphorically our mental/spiritual transitioning, giving us the time when we declare our seeking complete. The time is Now. 

Our lost self is found in Self, and the Christ lives through us. 

Now we began anew...raised higher to be awakened deeper.

Thank you.

WE ARE ON THE MARCH WITH GOD FOR AMERICA

I awoke this morning feeling listless, unsettled, discomfited, all alone. This is not my first rodeo, I have been here before but this seems darker. I recall the reason for my discontent...it is wrapped in my perception of our president and his followers...which is scarifying.

We learn to take conscious note of how world events impact our thinking, feeling, doing, being. They can negatively or positively play us, but negatively does the harm.

To me, today's American presidency, i.e., the president and his unqualified "team," have an aura of "by the prickling of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

The thing is, whether something wicked actually gets here, its forecast is the black cloud over our head and heart. Dread has legs of its own that can walk, talk and mock us...ah, but signifying nothing! 

We are God's hands and feet, and we are on the march with God. 

My heart, my soul, my body and my brain all believe that no matter what we will be called to walk through, with God America and her believers are on the side of God's will, God's way. That which appears less-than is self-centered fear strutting its stuff...we resist it not. We know it for nothing and less than nothing with God at the helm.

Lord, hear our prayer, thank You.

Thank you.

HOPE IS NOT AN ILLUSION, IT EMPOWERS...NOW

Sisters and brothers, especially those of you experiencing pain and sorrow, your silent cry has been heard and your tears have been counted; not one of them has been lost!... The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion.... That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude, but empowers us. —Pope Francis (1936–2025), "Urbi Et Orbi," Easter, 2025

I feel touched by the spirit of Pope Francis this morning...this Easter message was his last, and it touched me deeply. Unusually deeply considering that I am not a religious person, much less Catholic...but I feel blessed that I was...am...so touched by his message.

I wonder if my new friend Gertrude is in my life, and I in hers, for a special reason, spiritual in nature. It seems to be, then reason takes hold and doubt comes running.

There is truth in hope. Trust the message...that hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude, but empowers us. 

Now, let that lead us...now.

Thank you.