Category: Sister Judy (Page 236 of 271)

Devotions from Stephen Smith’s book, Soul Custody

Abundant living is a choice that requires a beginning step and more after that. If we want to change, we will need to let desire show us the way. God puts His desires in us and we need to get in touch with the longings of our hearts. “When desire meets the soul, we find the place where motivation is unleashed and action is taken.”   What do we really want in life? What is He stirring in us?   “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desire of your heart.” Ps. 37:4  As we grow closer to Him, we actually want what He has wanted for us all along- a life that is deep, full, and satisfying. As we get in touch with our longings we will make choices because it is something we long for, or desire to do.  So caring for our soul is paying attention to what we want in life.  By facing our desires, we will find a deeper way to live from our hearts and be fulfilled. In Matt 11 from the message it says, “ Are you tired, worn out? Burned out on religion?  Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Devotions from Stephen Smith’s book, Soul Custody

How important it is to make space in our lives for what really matters. We can choose soul care that will, over time, bring healing, strength, and spiritual well-being. In fact, our small choices lead to larger choices and impact for a long time. Each day we choose how we will live: we can choose life or death, blessings or curses. We can choose if soul care is a priority in our life  and if we want to live the life God intends for us. Our souls get impoverished because we assume that we can live our life on automatic pilot. The truth is that our souls need ongoing attention and choices are a gift from God.  We need to wake up to live before we die!  Life here and now is a part of God’s will for us-not just the one in heaven.  Let us choose to live now, to find new meaning, new purpose, new reason to live –and then to protect and guard this life. It is our one and only life!  We get out of life what we put into it.

Devotions from Stephen Smith’s book, Soul Custody

Caring for our soul is never selfish or egotistical. It is the opposite for it is really an act of stewardship. Caring for our souls is an act through which God can replenish our hearts, restore our souls, and revive our day so we can meet the challenges of life, work, and relationships. It says in Prov. 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart. For it is the wellspring of life.” And in Deut. 4:9 “Only  take care, and keep your soul diligently.”

When we love ourselves in a healthy way, we move away from self-centeredness and selfishness. And as we do this it is life giving and honoring to God, having a ripple affect on others too.
We are soulful beings. Our soul is the real person—our heart, mind, emotions, desires, longings- everything that makes up our soul.  It is the truest part of us and will live on after we die. Our body is just the outerwear while we live on earth.

Our soul is God given, God shaped, God sustained.  WE are loved deeply and a reflection of God’s image.  As we care for our souls we will enjoy peace, even in the midst of hard times. We will have exuberance about life and make connections with friends. We will grow in awareness of God and intimate fellowship with Him.  Also, we will find fulfillment in our work He has called us to do. Let us take custody of our souls that we may honor God so He is glorified.

Devotions from Stephen Smith’s book, Soul Custody

Are we doing more but living less?  Making a living but not having a life?  Annie Dillard said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives”
Everyone who feels more dead than alive, more tired than energized, more burned out than motivated is a soul who needs to be cared for.  We can gain the world but lose our soul.

We need to take custody of our souls and choose to live in life- giving ways.  We need to take responsibility for our souls and hearts for this is our sacred privilege.  As we do this we will begin to see the transformation that our hearts have always longed for.  Simply put, being mindful of our souls requires loving the Lord our God with all our heart and mind.

We have only one soul. This it the only life we will live-so let’s live it well.

Devotions from Brennan Mannings book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

The words of Beatrice Beuteau, “God’s love is not conditional. We cannot do anything to deserve God’s love-for which reason it is called grace; and we need not do anything to provoke it. It is already there.  Any love that is going to be salvific must be this type, absolutely unconditional and free.”  Some people never seem to get beneath the surface of their lives and die before they learn to live.  They mistrust God, the world, and even themselves and are unable to make a passionate commitment to anyone or anything.  They miss tasting life deeply. Jesus came to reconcile us to Him.  We can’t receive what He has to offer unless we see our plight and need of Him.  He knows our deepest secrets and we don’t have to grab a cosmetic kit to make ourselves presentable before Him. His message to us is forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation.  If we open the door to Him we will find we are not alone. He is with us and also gives us fellow travelers along the way.  We can accept ourselves as we trust His acceptance of us as we are. He said, “Behold I make all things new.”  Today may we receive the wonder and beauty of ourselves as His child.

Devotions by Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

“Keep your own death before your eyes each day”, said Saint Benedict. In our society today there is a refusal to view life in light of eternity. There is a denial of death and a fantasy of invincibility.  Some find it too painful to consider separation from a loved one, and they keep up a frantic pace of life so there is no time to think seriously. To keep our own death before our eyes takes faith and fortitude. When we are most conscious of our belovedness and are alert to the risenness of Jesus, we can face death courageously. Because He lives, we will live. ( John 14:19)  The denial of death is not a healthy option for a Christian. Christ within us is our hope of glory. He is our life, the most real fact about us. He is the power and wisdom of God dwelling within us. Let us keep the thought of death in our consciousness as a reminder of the seriousness and joy of life. Our hope is in the invincible power and might of the risen Christ who overpowered death that we might truly live.

Devotions from Brennan Manning’s book The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

The author said, “Genuine faith leads to knowing the love of God, to confessing Jesus as Lord, and to being transformed by what we know.” If we want to know what a person really believes, we don’t just listen to what he says, we watch what he does.  Jesus reinforced his words with deeds. On the eve of His death, he took off His outer garment, tied a towel around His waist, poured water into a basin,  and washed His disciple’s feet. He took the role of a servant and asks us to embrace that lifestyle too. As we do this we bear the stamp of authentic followers of Him.  In our world of upward mobility, to prefer to be the servant rather than the Lord of the household is the path of downward mobility. Servanthood is not an emotion or mood or feeling: it is a decision to live as Jesus lived.  Let us ask Him for a servant’s heart and show us how to serve this day.

Devotions based on Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heaertbeat

The author said when we lack a lively awareness of our core identity as His child, it is easy to become enslaved to the approval and disapproval of others.  Much of our day can be spent placating and pleasing people, and their opinions can hold a control over us.  There is much good that is left undone because of our fear of the opinion of others. We too often think of what others will say rather than doing what is best, although often unpopular.  As we accept more of our core identity as His child, we slowly gain autonomy from controlling relationships.  We become inner-directed rather than out-determined.  We may have moments of pleasure or pain caused by the affirmation or deprivation of others as that never entirely disappears.  Sometimes we have to stand alone when the only alternative is to cut a deal at the price of our integrity.  It is lonely but is courageous to make unpopular decisions that are expressive of the truth of who we are-not of who we think we should be or someone else wants us to be.  But let us follow our conscience and stand for the truth even when others may disapprove. When we stand up and claim responsibility for our unique self, we are growing in freedom from the bondage of human approval.  His approval is all that matters!

Devotions based on Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

It is one thing to discover a treasure but another to claim it as our own through determination and effort.  So often in our lives get so fascinated with the trophies of this world that is passing away…pursuit of money, pleasure, power etc.  Whatever it is, it dims and numbs our capacity to be affected by Him.   What a difference there is between knowing about God and knowing Him!  John refers to himself as the one who Jesus loved.  He experienced that love and leaned against His heart to hear His heartbeat.  John did not believe that Jesus was the most important thing; he believed that He was the only thing.  “What establishes preeminence in the Christian  community  is not office, title, or territory; not the charismatic gifts of tongues, healing , or inspired preaching, but only our response to Jesus’ question, “Do you love Me?”

Devotions from Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

How often do we shut the Lord out of our lives?  Maybe we enjoy some things alone to exclude Him or to hug certain experiences and relationships to ourselves.  It may not consist of the denial of a personal God, but rather we grow inattentive to His sacred presence. Just the way we spend our time and money and the way we interact with others testifies to the degree that we are aware of Him.  It is much like a human relationship. When we are inattentive  it undermines love, confidence, and communion with others. So it is with God.  When we are inattentive to our true self hidden with Christ in God we become unaware of His divine presence.  We need to weigh and measure the things we allow in our lives and keep only those that have eternal value.

“May all your expectations be frustrated, may all your plans be thwarted, may all your desires be withered into nothingness, that you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child and sing and dance in the love of God who is Father , Son and  Spirit.” Larry Hein.