Mother Teresa - story of grace

One night, a man came to our house to tell me that a Hindu family, a family of 8 kids, had not eaten anything for days.
They had nothing to eat.
I took enough rice for a meal and went to their house. I could see the hungry faces, the children with their bulging eyes. The sight could not have been more dramatic!
The mother took the rice from my hands, divided it in half and went out. When she came back a little later, I asked her, "Where did you go? What did you do?"
She answered, "They also are hungry." "They" were the people next door, a Muslim family with the same number of children to feed and who did not have any food either.
That mother was aware of the situation. She had the courage and the love to share her meager portion of rice with others. In spite of her circusmtances, I think she felt very happy to share with her neighbors the little I had taken her.
In order not to take away her happiness, I did not take her any more rice that night. I took her some more the following day.

Mother Teresa - Missionaries of charity prayer

There is a prayer that the Missionaries of Charity pray every day. Cardinal Newman wrote it:

Jesus, help me to spread your fragance wherever I am.
Fill my heart with your Spirit and your life.
Penetrate my being and take such hold of me that my life
becomes a radiation of your own life.
Give your light through me and remain in me in such a way
that every soul I come in contact with can feel your presence in me.

May people not see me, but see you in me. . .

May I preach you with actions more than with words, with the example of my actions, with the visible light of the love that comes from you to my heart. Amen

Mother Teresa - prayer

Prayer makes your heart bigger, until it is capable of containing the gift of God himself.

The first requirement for prayer is silence. People of prayer are people of silence.
- Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa - Love begins at home

Sometimes it is harder for us to smile at those who live with us, the immediate members of our families, than it is to smile at those who are not so close to us.
Let us never forget: love begins at home. - Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa - Smile

Once, some years ago, a group of teachers from the US came through Calcutta. After visiting the Home for the Dying in Kalighat, they came to see me.

Before they left, one of them asked me if I would say something that they could keep as a remembrance of the visit and that would also be useful to them.

"Smile at one another. Smile at your wives." (I have the feeling that we are in such a hurry that we do not even have time to look at one another and smile.)

One of them said, "Mother, it is obvious that you are not married!"
"Yes, I am," I answered. "Sometimes it is very difficult for me to smile at Jesus because he asks too much of me."

NOTE: During my 2 year spiritual direction program, I had to "walk" with a saint. I chose Mother Teresa, or rather she chose me. Her life has deepen my understanding of what it means to love Jesus and follow him.

Mother Teresa

Today is Mother Teresa's birthday. She was born August 26, 1910. Her name was Anges and she was the youngest of 3 kids. Her mother, a huge influence in her life, cared for the poor and "fringe" people of the community. Even after the family lost all their wealth, her mother continued to serve those in need.

Parents are the most influential person in a child's life.

Garden Therapy

I told my husband the other day I was nesting. I quickly reassured him that I was not pregnant! Seriously though I do feel like I am nesting. Over the last couple of weeks I've froze a bushel of corn, about 10 cups of zucchini, 20 pounds of Michigan blueberries and 10 pounds of "ripe" bananas.

While I have worked in the kitchen preparing this food for my family, I have felt a deep satisification by providing healthy food for them. I realize that my garden is spiritual experience at many levels. From preparing the earth, planting the seeds and now harvesting the produce.

The provisions of Mother Earth nurture my body, soul and spirit.

Sunday @ Westwinds

Ben Redmond, my friend and co-worker, has been speaking about investing in long term relationships, with an emphasis on parenting. He's asked me, along with 3 other people to be part of a panel discussion Sunday morning at Westwinds.

U-stream the service live at 9 or 11 or you can down the podcast later in the week.

Love my garden & my friends

Through the wonders of the internet, I have once again connected with my soul mate/friend, Caitlin. We worked and served together at Ginghamsburg Church, working together on the first issues of Len Sweet's SoulCafe magazine. We've made homemade pickle relish one summer and batches of Christmas cookies later in the year. She and her husband were part of our home group.

She's a learner with degrees in literature and a law degree (highest scores ever received from the University of Dayton). She's a gardener and adventurer. There is nothing she would not try.

I am blessed to have friends like Caitlin. Plus she shares her gardening secrets like this marinara sauce which consists of roasted tomatoes, basil, oregano, onions, garlic and olive oil. Yummy, yummy. The house smells fabulous!

I'm on call for jury duty for the next two weeks. Not the local jury but district court in downtown Detroit. So each day after 6p I have to make a call to see if I have to re-arrange my life and plans for the following day. Talk about having to be flexible. Surprisingly I am pretty relaxed about the whole thing. I have to do it; I can be stressed and ugly about it or I can "hold my plans loosely" and trust.

Holding loosely. . . the rich young man walked away from Jesus deeply sadden, because he was holding on tightly to his possessions which gave an illusion of security, and he couldn't or wouldn't let go. I like to think that Jesus and the guy meet up again sometime and at this encounter the guy at least tries to loosen his grip on his "stuff" so he can follow after Jesus.

What do you hold tightly to? What is your "stuff"? Control at work or in relationships? Your kid's behavior? money, time? I believe that we are all holding onto something that we think will help make us happy. Ben talked about the only thing we can control in a relationship is ourselves! I can't fix my child; I can't make my husband happy; I can't make people see my point of view. Control is an illusion. I can't do anything except change myself and love others.

As I grow in the Spirit, she has replaced my desire to control such things as relationships, mininistry, kids, etc. with the desire to serve and love. While that might not be evident every second of every day, it's a transformation I've experienced.

I am becoming the Lori Ann, my Father created me to be. I am becoming my true self.

Do you hear the Spirit?

Within the last 3 days four people from completely different areas of my life affirmed me as a good mom. Some people would say that this is just a coincidence but I would humbly disagree. For me I have found that the Spirit speaks through repetition, the same message delivered through various people. This time the people were my spiritual director, one of my ministry leaders, my previous spiritual formation teacher and a bus driver who just "happened" to stop by my garage sale!

I've been off the last 5 days. The kids and I went to see the movie "G-Force," we made s'mores, slept outside in the tent and watched the meteor shower. Jeff was a huge help at the garage sale, working shifts so I could be inside preparing a bushel of corn to freeze.

Last week I set up an aquarium on our kitchen counter. I found 4 - half inch lava/caterpillars and milkweed plants been watching 4 hungry caterpillars eat their way into oblivion. Ever read Eric Carlise's Hungry Caterpillar? It's ALL true, they eat like little pigs then lie so still you think they are dead. Although we've lost 2 caterpillars and the kids have learned some valuable lessons about nature, I'm confident that we will be the proud parents of at least two monarch butterflies in the next week to 10 days. It is an awesome life cycle to witness!

I have to admit that I initially received my parenting compliments with suspicion. Like something "bad" is going to happen so I must need extra encouragement. How silly of me! My Father God, just loves to give me good gifts and I am graciously receiving His gift and saying thanks!

It's the Green Beans

There are times that I am in awe at how blest I am.

The other day the kids were out of town, Randy was at work and I worked at home. I sat at my dining table, with my computer, books and papers spread out working on my 6month "class" called Soul Dig. There were several deer and sand hill cranes in the yard (no big deal at my house!). I studied and wrote then took the dog out to my garden where I picked fresh beans for dinner.

What drew me towards God that day? Beans! Green beans fresh from my garden. My garden not only nourishes my body it feeds my soul.

I am loved

This blog is not my journal/diary. I share parts of my life and spiritual journey only in hopes that it might encourage or challenge someone else on their journey with Jesus.

I want to be silent because I know that it is valuable to my soul and well being, but I'm not very good at it. The Spirit is so gracious and keeps on gently teaching and leading me. She draws and invites me to walk closer with Her. I am loved.

Fall is a huge time in the seasons of Westwinds and this fall in particular. I have two new part-time helpers, a new experience studio launching, new, new, etc. You get the idea. As a type A personality, when faced with lots of work/tasks I tend to get focused and do, and do, and do, and do. You get the idea - I do, rather than be.

My "slide" into doing is seldom intentional. It's just that when I'm under pressure I revert back to my old habits of doing/rather than being. My old habits include not exercising for 10 days becuz of a busy schedule and my back is hurting. So when I don't exercise I don't eat well and all of a sudden I've gained 2-4 pounds. My daily (physical) routine impacts my spiritual and emotional well-being.

Crap. One thing is out of balance and it leads to another area that gets out of wack. Everything I do is connected. Connected to each other and to my spirituality - my life with Spirit.

I am thankful that Spirit gently brings me around and faces me back towards the Father. Soooo. . .this week I'm back exercising. I'm feeling better, eating better and listening better to Spirit. I hear the owls outside, I see God's creative wonderous work, most importantly I hear and recognize the Spirit's promptings.

Meal Montage