Fashion Show...

Sometimes I wonder about the personal tastes of my children when it comes to fashion.  I mean, do each of them really expect me to authorize them to wear their mismatched outfits out of the house?!?  "No," I say, "brown and white pants do NOT match with your yellow, black, and white checked shirt."  And, "Why in the world would you think that you should go without a jacket when it is 30 degrees outside, simply because the jacket is navy blue and the skinny jeans are gray?  Seriously?  You're kidding, right?"  At times like these, they frown and shuffle off to find the lone white shirt that matches with everything and the blue skinny jeans instead of the gray ones, completely unaware and unappreciative of the fact that their mother has just done them a great service...

We all have our favorite designers or trends that we follow.  But even when we think our fashion sense is well-informed and well-practiced, fashion issues can arise.  Maybe our favorite designer goes off the deep end, and covers every design in human hair, or starts spouting off antisemitic rhetoric, say.  Maybe the latest trend doesn't account for all circumstances; and wardrobe malfunctions--a broken heel or poor alteration, for instance--become the bane of our existence.  We all have worn two different shoes to the big meeting, or managed to spill soup on our ties before the PR photos.


People are sometimes the same way when it comes to spirituality.  Some people arrive at the fashion show, ready to walk the runway of life with the perfectly matched ensemble of faith and action.  Their Christian morals and values and character pervade their every action and interaction.  And when they pray, they shout it; when they are filled with the spirit, they sing it.  But some people arrive at the fashion show completely unprepared and disheveled, their actions opposite to their professed faith.  These people usually fall into one of two groups:  the delayed or the hypocritical.  The delayed are making an effort to clarify their Christian beliefs within themselves, but haven't quite managed to find a balance; so they run late to the show.  The hypocritical think it is enough to say they are Christians, even if their actions do not bear that out in public; so their outfits never fit quite right.  We all, I would wager, have had moments when we were unprepared or disheveled in our faith...


No fashion show is ever perfect--some people on the runway may be completely in their element; but others are wearing shoes that are one or more sizes too small; and others still are hiding last minute safety pins behind clumsy flowers.  Remember that, similarly, in life there will be trials and temptations, doubts and worries, ups and downs.  But if we make an honest effort to match our actions to our faith, with God's help we will reach a level of excellence that allows our Christian morals and values and character to shine forth as a light to those who are in the dark.  If we keep working towards excellence, and leave the perfection up to God, we will make it down the runway with grace; and this fashion show will go off without a hitch.

PRAISE

PRAISE = Positive Response Amidst Incredibly Stressful Events

I recently discovered this acronym within a comment on a Facebook page I follow; and it certainly struck a chord with me.  As a military Mama and wife, I am doing my best to keep this acronym at the forefront of my thoughts right now.

 

The conflict overseas has taken so many of our military heroes away from families.  The conflict has caused so much upheaval and change.  The conflict has created so much stress for so many people in so many ways.  How can they get through it all?

 

One thing they can do is turn to God.  He knows our hearts; He knows what we need.  Praising Him can be an expression of our joy in the easier times, but also a great comfort in the tough times.  In times such as these, remembering to PRAISE is surely one of the best ways to cope, so our faces shine with grace and hope, along with our pride in those who have volunteered to serve and protect our nation and its citizens!

Below is a personal reflection informed by my military lifestyle (cross-posted from my Facebook page)...

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Honor and Sacrifice


I am confident in my patriot: his competence and skill, his resolve and fortitude, his convictions and his faith; plus I accepted in advance the repercussions of our choice, including the probability of long separations.  We signed up for this, honored to be able to serve and support our great nation.  But my heart does ache for the children--mine and all the others--who bravely say goodbye and good luck and Godspeed, with proud and grateful hearts, all the while wishing for just one more pat on the back, one more story to be read, one more kiss before parting...

Freedom Fighters
by Erika Mehlhaff

It is our honor
And our sacrifice
To proudly stand and serve,
When all around us
Trouble sounds,
Drowning out the word:
Freedom.

We're a steady group
Of guardians,
Taking on our shoulders
The great albatross
Of this land:
The great struggle for
Freedom.

We know our duty;
we know our goal.
It's absolutely clear:
We are fighting for
Our love of
Our country and our
Freedom.


✝♥☮4∞2myTϟ✈

Make a Joyful Noise...

Psalm 100:1 of the New American Standard Bible says: "Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth."  In other translations it says:  "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth."

But what does it mean to "shout joyfully" or "make a joyful noise" during Mass?

In the CNP Feedback section of the CanticaNOVA Publications web site, there are several questions regarding Catholic liturgical music.  These questions and the responses from the web site creators inspired me to reflect and pray on this.  I have discovered that the Catholic Church, indeed, has rules about music that is allowed during the Mass.  And those rules are apparently so strict that there is great debate about them, with even popes weighing in over time.  Some people would love to go back to more Latin in the Mass, with more chanting and such.  Others are calling for contemporary Christian music to have a place in the Mass.  It seems that the debate is really about what constitutes the "joy" mentioned in Psalm 100.

I am called to address this issue--it has been weighing on my heart for several days now.  And I have a solution to end the debate:  "praise and worship" combination services for Catholics.

It's risky to suggest, I know.  But how far are we from that, really, in terms of music?  Why can we not have some Masses, with traditional (and "approved") liturgical music, combined with "praise music," or Masses with "praise music" sung pre- and/or post-assembly??

So many people would be drawn to the Lord as Catholics with the addition of "praise and worship" music common in many Protestant churches.  As long as we are lifting our voices in song, and pouring our hearts and souls into it, and being drawn closer to Christ by it, what difference does it make if we are attempting Gregorian chant or jamming with guitars and drums and trumpets or even rapping?  All Christian music is for the Lord; all of it is sung to praise Him, regardless of personal taste.  Why must even one of the purest forms of praise divide the Body of Christ?

I'm frustrated and almost angered by this...I will keep praying on it--and secretly wishing I could also go to Wednesday night worship at the local, music-heavy non-denominational church.  I just want nothing more than to make a joyful noise...

Putting down roots...

Yesterday evening, I was reading something about how to "bloom where you're planted"--which, of course, got the Carey Landry song by that title stuck in my head.  You know: the one from back in the 80s (my Catholic school days)?  I thought it would be gone by the time I woke up this morning; but thanks to my morning devotion, with its mention of sowing and harvesting, I was reminded again of the planting and, hence, the blooming. Oy.  In an effort to apply the idea and its meaning in my life (but mostly to eliminate the irritatingly repetitious lyrics of that song), I have been researching and reflecting all day.  People unfamiliar with their Bible might believe there is some Scripture associated with these words that compare human beings to blooming plants, but they'd be wrong.  Though there are passages in Scripture (more directly in some Bibles than others) that might be related in terms of the general idea expressed (i.e. Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 1:3; Psalm 92:12-13), the words themselves are not actually in the Bible at all.  St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) is probably responsible for inspiring the actual words; he is credited with stating the following:

"Truly charity has no limit; for the love of God has been poured into our hearts by His Spirit dwelling in each one of us, calling us to a life of devotion and inviting us to bloom in the garden where He has planted and directing us to radiate the beauty and spread the fragrance of His Providence."

St. Francis de Sales actually expressed this idea in a lovely and inspiring way.  I can certainly reflect more easily on blooming where I'm planted when it is presented in this context!

When I started blogging today, I was convinced that this post would be titled "Pulling Weeds" and that I would be rambling on about tending the gardens where my children are planted, so they can bloom and "radiate the beauty...of His Providence."  But I have found another way to apply this idea in my life as well...

Charity--basically benevolence and Christian love--can be practiced every day. We are each called to offer some form of charity to others.  We have the capacity for it because God swells our hearts with His love, that we might share it with those around us.  And I know so many to whom I can show charity right now.  I have been "planted" in the right here and now; now it is not only my time to bloom, but to put down some roots!  I already see the blessings that might radiate, from comfort for those who need it to building deeper friendships...  I KNOW it is gonna be awesome!!

I am always so amazed at the small, but profound ways in which God works!  The song that irked me so this morning has been made new to me, and sounds as if sung by angels!  "Bloom Where You're Planted" has become a mantra of sorts to help me fulfill my purpose--His plan--of putting down roots and growing in devotion while sharing God's love with those around me.

Amen to that!

God Reveals the Extraordinary

Today on the Facebook page of 89.5 KTSY radio, this question was posed:  "What has God taken in your life that was average, but He has made it extraordinary?"
 

I immediately thought of my children, and then myself as a parent, when I read that.  Because I do not want to forget my response, I am reposting it here:

As I grow as a parent, God reveals the extraordinary in the ordinary! Teaching my children to count and to read, to worship and lead, allows me to see their best, extraordinary selves. That is, when they learn morals and values and manifes...t this in every day ways, I am blessed to glimpse who God wants them to be! I try to be an example to my kiddos, which of course can be difficult, but every so often I rejoice in my success at it--like moments when I could lose my temper, but instead practice patience and approach a situation in a more balanced and gentle way. Though I will keep trying, I know that God isn't finished w/me yet--the most 'extraordinary me' will come when we meet!

It is truly an amazing miracle to know that God allows opportunities to witness His great work in people.  And it is such an awesome reward when we are able to witness His work in people who are special to us, especially our children! And what grace to be able to see it every so often in ourselves!!  AMEN!!

To be free...

I was meditating this morning on how I can keep God as my first priority in every day life. I was thinking about what distractions cause me to lose my focus, and how to get back on track so that I can say yes to God. I was led again to reflect on Matthew 7:3-5:

3

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?

4

How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye?

5

You hypocrite, ³ remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

I am sometimes guilty of noting the splinters in the eyes of others, while not acknowledging those in my own eyes. Being self-righteous to this degree is a great distraction from truly prioritizing God in my life. But there are so many other things that can get in the way as well...

In experiencing life, we all encounter stumbling blocks. Sometimes we are able to stand again quickly and continue down the right path. At other times, we fall and lose our focus--we become blinded by the obstacles. We shift our perspective and focus on the obstacles so completely that we forget about God and the path He's laid. We get wrapped up in the joys of life, or stuck in the sorrows--all of these become specks in our eyes. We hold ourselves hostage, becoming wholly subject to these things.  We become slaves to our life experiences.

To combat this in myself, I must remember that God is in all things. I must remember that God has laid a path for me. I must remember that God is in control, and trust that He is executing His plan appropriately. That is sometimes very difficult to do; nevertheless we must remember that God IS here. In good times and bad times; with achievements and failures; during breakthroughs and trials, God is here. I do not have to rejoice alone, because God is there. I do not have to carry my burdens alone, because God is here. I do not have to go through life's ups and downs alone, because God is here. And in remembering this, I put God first; and I can be truly free.