Moving Forward

What is keeping you from moving forward? Have you set a goal for yourself and you aren't reaching it? Are you looking off to the horizon knowing for months you want to go there, but yet you remain where you are? Are you just plain stuck in the same old patterns you are trying to break?
Many times people want to blame all the circumstances or people around them for not moving forward, but in reality the obstacle can actually be ourselves. Sometimes it's fear, sometimes it's lack of a certain skill, or sometimes we haven't taken the time to look at the circumstances or people around us to figure out a way to change the situation (so still, it is ourselves).
What about your life? What are you trying to change? What is keeping you from moving forward? What do you need to do to remove the obstacles in your life? Humbly look at yourself and look to to God, and I'm sure you will find the answer.

Fear Of The Unknown

Do you have a situation in your life where you don't know what is going to happen? You know that God is in control, but you don't know what the outcome is going to be? Sometimes you can be so trusting of God and his plan, regardless of the outcome, but other times you feel the fear of the unknown creeping in.
This must have happened to the apostles after Jesus ascended into heaven. On one hand, they were trusting that God was going to send a "helper" (the holy spirit), but on the other hand, they didn't know what it was going to be. On one hand, Jesus had risen from the dead, what he said had to be true, but on the other hand, he was no longer with them. The conflict of trust vs. fear must have been incredible.
So, when I get this way, I look to them as an example. I first ask them for intercession, to pray for my fear and the outcome. Then, I look to the Holy Spirit to fill my heart with trust and patience. It was through the Holy Spirit that they were truly transformed and were able to move forward. The Holy Spirit is still alive and active today, and he can be in your life too, if you invite him.

New Year's Resolutions

Many people start New Year's Resolutions on January 1st and unfortunately give up by January 31st. When asked why they are no longer pursuing the resolution, the number one answer seems to be "stress". Life is too busy or too complicated and people loose their focus. People have good intentions; it's just life takes over.
Why not make this year's resolution: a year to reduce the stress! Start by recognizing what is causing you the most stress. Then ask yourself, "How can I change this situation so that it causes less stress in my life?" "What do I need to do differently" or "How does my attitude need to change?".
Once I had a job that I felt was very stressful. It was not something I could get out of immediately. So I asked the question, "How can I enjoy myself today?" I found a way to make something enjoyable at work and that was the first step to my revitalization. It made a world of difference!
So my question to you is: "Where is your stress coming from and how can you make a change?"

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?