Christ – Sew Beach Life

He Is Risen!

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Since we could not attend Easter Mass in person last year due to Covid lockdowns, it was all the sweeter to see the church decorated with flowers and experience Easter Mass again in person. It was also nice to see more people in the pews.

If you don’t attend Mass regularly, and only go on Easter and Christmas, I hope that you felt the love of Christ through the readings, the homily, the friendly smiles (albeit only the crinkled eyes due to mask wearing) of the people around you, and through the wonderful realization that Jesus Christ died for us, and rose from the dead to open the gates of heaven for all of us.

You are loved, you are wanted, and the doors are open to you. Is your heart open? It can quickly be filled, and refilled, again and again with the love of Christ every time you go to Mass. Feed your soul, and celebrate God’s everlasting love. Happy Easter!

He is risen indeed!

What A Week!

From Illness To Gratefulness

I am finally recovering from a week of influenza and it feels so good to be upright! I was literally down for the count for a week, laying in bed, slowly walking to the sofa or dining table, and back to bed. I hate being sick, feeling dependent on others, and not having my normal energy and routine.

My husband was a champ! He made me food, did the dishes and laundry, and took excellent care of me. I told him how much I appreciated him taking care of me, and he said, “You’re always taking care of me and would do the same for me. It’s not a big deal.” While it’s true that it may not have been a big deal to him, it meant a great deal to me. When you are naturally a caregiver, it’s interesting to see it from the other side.

When you are constantly taking care of others, of the household, of your children, etc., you can easily get irritated or feel a little bit resentful. “Gah! I just vacuumed and you’re tracking dirt everywhere!” “Ugh! Sweaty, gross gym clothes to wash and they are laying on top of my outfit in the laundry basket and getting it all stinky!” And of course you’ll make eggs for breakfast when you’d much rather make banana pecan waffles topped with strawberries and blueberries because you know he’d prefer the protein.

I generally don’t complain about the inconveniences (OK, other than the tracking in dirt!), because caring means that you are doing these things out of love. And really, it’s not hard to do any of it, and it really isn’t a sacrifice. It’s just the way it works for your family. Everybody has to do their part to make their family life work. Maybe your family dynamic is different, and you’re the main breadwinner, and someone else has more time for the household. Or maybe you are responsible for everything yourself. Everybody has to participate in making life work.

But working joyfully, and cheerfully giving, that decision is up to you. I can tell you that life is happier, you are happier when you move through life with a happy heart. Is life always easy? Do things always go perfectly according to your plans? Of course not! We all have worries and concerns. Maybe you are struggling financially, maybe someone you love and care for is sick, or injured, or dying. Maybe you just feel like life is beating you down. We have all been there. Everyone has struggles. How we face those struggles is the question.

Do you think that you have to carry the burden alone? On the surface, it may appear to you that you do. But you don’t. There is always someone you can talk to, someone who will listen, someone who will lighten the load.

Talk to God, talk to Jesus. Surrender your heart, look, and listen for the little spark of joy. There is beauty and happiness everywhere. What are you grateful for? What can you do for others? What small look, gentle touch, gesture of friendship or love can you give? Because that is the secret. Opening your heart to God, praying and listening for His voice. Giving of ourselves, rather than just focusing on what we “deserve”, what I think the world “owes” me. Be grateful to the one who gives us all the opportunity for everlasting life.

And don’t forget to say thank you to the people God has placed in your life. The ones who take the time to care for, or be kind to you. Pet the cute kitty who snuggled you while you were sick. Hug the loving husband who kept you fed when you didn’t have the strength to make your own meal. And talk to God, open your heart, feed your soul. Be grateful for whatever crazy, wonderful life you have.

Welcome 2019

The sun has set on 2018 and 2019 is here. Many people make resolutions of things they want to change or accomplish in the new year. I remember celebrating New Year’s Eve at our brother and sister-in-laws home maybe 25 years ago when we all wrote our resolutions on a piece of paper, and put them in a shoebox. Our sister-in-law put the box up on top of the china cabinet and said we should read them in a year. I don’t recall if that’s what we did, but I do remember that my resolution was for us to buy a house.

It’s fun to recall memories of time spent with people we love. It may or may not be so pleasant to recall the events of the past year. Perhaps we have lost someone we care about, or lost a job, had a health scare, or aren’t happy with our current situation in life. We have little or no control over some of these things, but we can work and make changes to help with others. Everyone knows that they should eat healthier, and probably need to exercise more. Taking a different perspective, improving our attitude, and putting in the hard work that is necessary can help us to change things.

One thing though that should be a constant in our lives is increasing our faith and reliance on God. That may not be a particularly “cool” thing to do in today’s society, where popular culture tells us that even if God is real, we don’t really need Him. You might think that too. But what do you do when things are tough? Who do you rely on? Who do you thank when things are good and life seems to be going well?

I can tell you that I have faced hard things in life, the deaths of my Dad and all of my grandparents. The unexpected and shocking death of our 35 year old niece comes to mind. Like nearly everyone, we have faced financial challenges, health concerns, and dealt with all the normal problems and issues that arise in life. But the problems have not overtaken me, because I have faith. Sometimes it seems so hard to put it in God’s hands. We like to try to control everything. (Insert sound effect of a buzzer here, eeeee!) Nope! We can’t! I have peace of mind because of my faith in God, in Jesus. No matter how insurmountable our problems may seem, it will all work out in the end.

If you feel like you’ve lost your faith, or don’t think that you’ve ever had it, I invite you to open your heart. God does not demand faith. He doesn’t push His way into your life. He knocks on the door and waits to be invited in. That tiny little spark of desire in your heart? Feed it! Read the Bible, go to Mass, visit a church, pray, and talk to God. Nourish your soul.

Go ahead and make your resolutions to workout, go to the gym, eat healthier, lose weight, etc. But you can accomplish so much more and live a calmer, happier life by increasing your faith. I challenge you to truly open your heart to God. Invite Him into your life. Put your troubles, problems, and desires in His hands. Trust Him, talk to Him, and let peace and joy enter your life.

The sun has set on 2018, and 2019 is here. Let the new calendar year be the beginning of a better year with the peace of Christ in your heart.

A Bit of Light

Keep peering through the darkness

I love seeing the sunrise. I think I’ve mentioned before that my morning coffee drinking spot faces the East, so I am treated to a sunrise every morning. As the seasons have changed, I’ve noticed the sunrise has slowly rotated in a Southerly direction. Where I used to notice it rising over the palm trees, it now peeks up through a neighbors large live oak.

It’s still the same beautiful sunrise, but you have to look a little harder to see it peeking through the dark branches of the tree. I think that is kind of like our prayer life, or seeing the light of Christ’s love. Sometimes it is so easy to see the glorious colors and brightness of the light. Sometimes we feel that the light is blocked by our worries or the troubles of the world. Take heart though! Keep peering through the darkness, knowing that the light is always there. Something as simple (and yet as hard!) as changing your perspective can bring the light back into focus.

Yesterday morning on our way to Mass we saw a beautiful sunrise with light streaming up from the clouds. Since there was no traffic directly behind us, Dan was able to slow way down on the bridge so that I could lean slightly out the window to get a photo. Tightly gripping my phone with both hands and trying to hold it steady against the wind, I was able to capture the moment. Perhaps this is another metaphor for life? Hold on to the good tightly with both hands, steady yourself against the buffeting winds, and capture those beautiful, wonderful moments.

Remember, God’s love is ALWAYS there. Keep praying and peering through any darkness and you will see His light.