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Monday, March 28, 2016

A RESTING PLACE FOR JESUS

A RESTING PLACE FOR JESUS

Joseph of Arimethea asked Pilate for the body of
The crucified Christ...
He had a burial tomb which he,
 himself,
had carved out of a ledge.
There...
 he placed Jesus' body...
in his own tomb.
                                            Matthew 27; 57-60

Have we prepared our own special place for Jesus?
Are our hearts receptive for Jesus' repose?
 Have we chipped away at all the rock- hardness
  in our hearts...
 hollowed out  a "resting place" 
for Jesus?
                                    

Thursday, March 17, 2016

THE CYCLE OF LIFE...NOTHING IS WASTED

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

Please bear with me as I preface this next writing that came during meditation.
On retreat we are reaping  insights pertaining to the unfathomable Mercy of God, His unending love flowing toward us, brought forth in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This new Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom, gifts of the Holy Spirit, came hand in hand with a life experience.
The Hearts Afire, parish based retreat given by Fr. Michael Gaitley, is a key element in the transformation of bringing home the truth of my faith from "head to heart"as I am living it.
There is always "something new"! Our Creator never ends His invitation to "Come and see!"


NOTHING IS WASTED

As a city girl, moving to Charlton in the year 1960, I had much to learn about nature, and living in a country setting.
My neighbor was a very good teacher and I was willing to learn.
Juanita had been brought up as a child with much knowledge of farming, flower beds, bird-watching, and more. We became friends hiking the woods and following the calls of birds until I was able to identify each one.
 My journey of falling in love with God's beautiful creation began. I had never planted a seed in the ground before, or knew there were so many different and colorful birds...so much to learn.
It was exciting  to see and know how things could grow from such  small beginnings, and how much nurturing was needed to sustain the growth.
Along came the Autumn season, with it's cooler weather and it's brilliancy! Such beauty! I could feel the colors flowing through my being!
Fall season also brought the debris of leaves, garden clean-up, and more teachings on composting the left-overs.
Nothing was wasted!
 This after-life of the gardens, composted, became the future golden nutrients for Spring's feeding of the new seeds and plants. One element fed into the other. The original growth of the garden  soon became the nourishment of "new birth"in the ground for the next season of planting! The cycle of life was seen on a diminutive scale in the Earth!
Nothing was wasted!
What a little miracle that seemed to be!
 Even then,56 years ago, the Holy Spirit was teaching me the circle-of-life! Everything in God's creation has a place of value... of renewal... of new life.
 Little did I know how extensive this life- lesson could, or would become.
Today the lessons of the past come full circle in life and  death; or as I would call it "Transformation and Resurrection".
To live,means we must grow.
To grow, we must change.
Hopefully, change brings us forward to a better place.
Past lessons learned open us to a new level of peace and trust.
God's plan for each is Eternity...a never ending of life.
Yet again, a transformation lovingly planned for each  one to dwell within His Kingdom!





Thursday, March 10, 2016

THE GIFT,an appointed time...

     
THE GIFT

There is an appointed time for everything that happens in this world.
 Everything happens at the time God chooses.
A time to be born, and a time to die...
A time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant...
A time to weep, and a time to laugh...
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to be silent, and a time to speak.
                                      Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The Holy Spirit led me into the attic this week seeking an empty storage box I might use for another project. In reorganizing things,to obtain my goal of leaving with an empty box, I came upon notebooks filled with loving letters from Don, written during the years of  our Marriage Encounter group meetings
. With my dear husband now deceased, this "find" was so welcomed!
For I had thought the note books were lost in our move 12 years ago.
Along with that precious find , were my own daily spiritual  journals from past years.
 I received so much more than just an empty box, that day!

Have you ever thought of writing a "Mission Statement" for your life?
I share my entry with you from May of 2003.

"I seek to establish my life in the intimacy of God within my conscience;
Anything coming from the outside world will be seen as an opportunity for growth and Grace
 and a movement toward the loving Creator. These Divine signs may, eventually,
be seen as moments to witness.
 I seek wisdom and the chance to live cleanly, openly, honestly in Gods' Presence."

Needless to say, many years have passed, and I am surprised at  seeing this statement.
This has been such a challenge,taking one step at a time, sometimes  two steps forward and one back. 

The Journey is never ending.
There is always a struggle to die to self, so as to be born again; 
to uproot and plant anew;
 to take the time to weep and mourn;
to learn to laugh and dance once again.

This cycle of living, dying and being transformed, is repeated
until the lessons are learned.
My heart is so filled with gratitude...
 to a lovingly patient God, who faithfully, is a Light unto my path,
 a Lamp unto my feet!

"By waiting and by calm...
you shall be saved;
In quiet and in trust...
your strength lies"
                          Isaiah 30:15



THE BODY OF CHRIST

I know You as...
                      All in all....
you know me...
                          as all in All !


                             Jean Mahan
                              July 4,2014

Saturday, March 5, 2016

THE ANOINTING: Jesus comes...

The Anointing

Jesus comes
 to heal the deepest wounds.
Faith binds us together...
           Love sustains the journey...
         Hope carries the dream.

We travel the road together...
These three and me.
The road is long,
   The tears they flow...
Yet the wonders of God abound!

His Love...
as constant as a bridegroom,
never fading or waning.
What joy is known
when fears depart...
and we see Him face to Face!

BREATH OF GOD...

Breath of God

O' Breath of God... come set me free
From weighing burdens set on me.
Unforgiveness  keeps us apart
When anger resides within my heart.

Make me willing to see my plight...
Open my eyes and give me sight...
That I may look within my soul
To see what keeps me from the goal
of love of neighbor and of self.

Let me not too busy be...
To sit...to ponder...
To stay with thee... until
My heart does soften more
And I can open 
A once closed door.

                                10-9-2005


Thursday, March 3, 2016

PRESENCE

The Shell

I held a little shell
Within   my   palm....
The   whole world   seemed 
  To  nestle  there...

And Our Creator was heard to say...
"You are Mine,  I hold you close...
I will never let you go!"

I felt His Warmth,
His Presence ...  calm.

I am His little shell...
That brings Him comfort, too!

AS IT WAS...

AS IT WAS

 FATHER, GOD...
In The Beginning...
We were One!

In Thought...
          In Desire...
              In Love...

In The Beginning...
We   Walked...
     We   Talked...
                  We Breathed...
                           as One...In The Beginning.

Suddenly...
another
 v
    o
        i
             c
                  e
was
h
       e
             a
                    r
                           d
       

in
         the
                    b
                           e
                                  g
                                    i
                                       n
                                           n
                                               i
                                                  n
                                                     g
                                   
                                        
                      psalm 80: verses 4, 15 +16


          

TIME STANDS STILL...winter's wait

Winter's Wait

She waited...
Her red garment lay beneath...
 feeding the Earth.
Naked, she stood...
                              Arms outstretched...
seeking, yearning.

She waited...

Stripped of color,  vulnerable to cold...
Waiting!   Waiting in Hope for her new covering.

Her tears  left little sparkling droplets
dangling in the sun...
Prisms of color decorated her limbs...
Birds rested a moment before taking flight...
Onlookers marveled at her luminous appearance!

Winter arrived... drifting it's whiteness 'round...
Moonlight gently caressed the radiant silhouette...
Shadowy tentacles spread upon the lavender snows' floor
Imitating roots sinking deeply...
 nourishing...  nurturing new growth.

She stood tall...
Heedfully....expectantly...trustfully... enfolded in God...
Awaiting in silence...
To be born again through her Daughters!

Jean  Mahan  assa
12-05 2008