It's All About Attitude

Last week was my birthday and I woke up determined to have a great day, and you know what? I did. I savored every moment from sipping my coffee to playing with my kids, from a hot shower to running errands. No matter what I did, I enjoyed it. Funny thing is, we didn't even celebrate my birthday that day. Basically it was just an ordinary day, but my attitude made all the difference. It got me thinking...what if I lived every day like it was my birthday? What if I savored every moment?
See, I've determined that America's problem is that we are always living for the next moment instead of savoring the moment we are in. We're always thinkging about the next task, the next appointment, the next day. What about right now? What about the child next to you that needs your attention? What about the spouse that wants you to just sit with them? What about that clerk at the store who barely notices you because they are also living in the next moment.
What a difference life would be if we could live in the here and now. What a difference in our lives and the lives of others. Try it...you just might enjoy yourself!

Gifts

The few days following Christmas always seem to be so relaxing because everything has already been accomplished before the holiday. There are fewer schedules to keep, so evenings are more relaxing and enjoyable. It is easy to feel that you can be a gift to your family because you can make yourself present without the distractions of the next activity.

Well, all this relaxing got me thinking about how I can transfer these moments to the following weeks when schedules are a bit tighter. How can I continue to be a gift to my family? After all, isn't the "gift of self" the best thing that you can give your family? Not only a gift to my family, but also a gift to Christ.

So how do you do it? How do you ensure that the next few weeks/months are not just moments where you are constantly rushing to do the next thing? Well, take a look at your day or your evenings. What needs to change to free up those moments? Does your day need rearranged? Perhaps you have some sort of obstacle that is in the way of you connecting with the ones you love. How do you remove it? Where can you invite a sacred moment into your day?

It really doesn't take a lot of time to be a "gift of self" to those around you. It only requires that you make yourself present to those you love.

Spiritual Desert

When I stopped sending out my spiritual inspirations about 6 months ago many people asked, "Why?". I had quite a few very concerned people questioning if I was o.k., and the answer was "yes". However, I was experiencing what so many other people experience in their spiritual life..."Spiritual Desert". Although I felt I was clinging to God desparately, I couldn't feel him at all except for very brief moments that were very few and far between and writing the inspirations were increasingly difficult. So, I stopped all things that were not of absolute importance and reprioritzed the things in my life.
The change was successful and there were quite a few things I learned in the process about a Spiritual Desert.

Spiritually

1. Everybody has them and it would probably happen to me again at some point in my life.
2. Spiritual deserts can either be caused by God or by myself. If they are from God, it is meant to strengthen my faith. If they are from me, they are because I moved away. It's up to me to figure out which one it is.
3. I can move out of a desert more quickly if I move towards God and take advantage of the sacraments and graces available to me. It also helps if I continue to act in faith despite the desert.
4. When in the streams, I can become more prepared for the next desert by asking now for God's grace and strength when they come. I guess you could relate it to the people in the Old Testament who stored up food when Joseph told them of the seven year famine. In other words: Be prepared ahead of time.

Personally

1. I needed to get rid of all the things that were keeping me from focusing on what was really important. Reprioritize.
2. I needed to do the things that recharged me. In my case quality relationships with family and friends.
3. I needed organization to my day that put the things that I valued most first.
4. And one of the most important...I needed to relax more!

So how is your relationship with God? Are you feeling close to or far away from him? If you are in a desert or feel you are heading there, what needs to change in your life to lead you back to the streams?