BE OPEN

 BE OPEN

I feel open to explore the depth and width and

breadth of Gods' love for me...to step over the boundaries

of fear that may be holding me back from 

 experiencing the "whole person" I am created to become. 

I feel open to tread gently upon the "new ground"of my being.

   I feel open to discover the new possibilities that need awakening within; slowly, gently, lovingly calling me forward, as new life unfolds.

I sense a need for caution and prudence as this new energy evolves.

There is a need to stay closely tuned to the

 movements of my Soul speaking within. I feel an 

openness to the 'Voice of Silence" and its' 

wordless call.

I feel a yearning to connect with the Infinite Spirit of God... to express His message of Love and Hope

in a world full of uncertainty and despair...

to bring Peace...if for only a moment,

into a troubled heart.

Jean Mahan ofs

10-23-2005

APPEARANCES

APPEARANCES

Luke: 24:verse 36

Jesus Appears!

"While the two were still speaking about this,

(of Jesus' appearance)

He stood in their midst...and

said to them,

"Peace be with you!"

"PEACE BE WITH YOU!"

HE IS RISEN!

APPEARANCES... A PRESENCE WITH THEM AS THEY WITNESS!

A joy! 

             A Presence!

              A promise...

"Where two or more gather...
There Am I in their midst!"

A Quickening of insight...

                               Enlightenment...                           

                                                A Clarity of purpose.            

                                                   
                                                    Unity... in the Holy Spirit!             

                                                       A new energy                            
                                    And enthusiasm
                                                                    To go forward...
                                                                                             With Joy!
                                                                  Amen
                 
                                    

                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                 

                                                          

                                    

                                                                                                  

                                   

TRANSFORMATOIN: A TREE OF LIFE

 TREE OF LIFE

Morning sun has risen

casting light upon the thinly snow covered  lawn

making a canvas for a tree to lay it's shadowy tentacles.

The tree itself is a beauty of shape and form.
 The shadow, laid out before it, seems ominous, ugly in structure...scraggly,
 unevenly laying, stretching out  upon the snowy blanket...

and yet..all is peaceful and still!

Spring air... a warmer sun sitting closer to earth's floor
teases little reds spikes of new grow at the tree's crown...
making it a lovelier sight to behold! It's arching branches 
curled up to receive, admit a bird or two in rest. 
As snow diminishes so goes the shadowy form...melting itself under the beauty of it's true form  above.

A gentle wind sends movements as waves,
 a " salutary goodbye" to those shadows...as if to say... 
"that shadow of your being is not your true existence...
it is melting away in the Presence of Love and Truth.
 Your Creator is Transforming you into a new creation."

 What is the shadow I need to let go of ...  the image of self that ties me to the ground?

Am I able to let it melt away...into Gods's Presence?

Is it time to say "goodbye"...
to gently release it from the icy cold of  existence?

Ah! I see it diminish in the Light of the day.

 The real beauty of it's "true form" appears...

a Tree of Life!

Open my heart... Lord of Life...that I may offer 

You the consolation of my trust ...

No matter what form the shadow takes,

in the Light of Your Presence...
I know that I am loved

                                              Amen
                    Romans 12:2

A TIMELY SURPRISE

     
A Timely Surprise

"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 being in our Marriage Encounter group. 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, this 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, a 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 happily surprised at  seeing this statement. 

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....
and we begin a new cycle.

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

DIVINE MERCY PRAYER

DIVINE MERCY PRAYER

Today, Jesus, we bring to You

those souls who do not believe in God,

and those who do not yet know You.

.

Eternal Father turn Your merciful gaze

 upon those who do not believe in You ...

or do not know You
 or Your merciful  forgiveness.

..."and the Father...yearning for his son

to come home...looking

down the road...saw His son approaching''

Luke 15: 11-24

The Father "yearned" ...
for His sons' return...

Watched...
for the sight of his coming home!

So much... did the Father love the son!

So much...did He "desire" the re-union!The Father "looked" ...

with a burning longing

 in His heart!
Did the Father's  Love draw the son?

Is His merciful love

so compelling to be felt

from afar?

Or was the son hungering

for the food of Love...

The comfort and safety of

the arms of Love...

the peace of the reality

of Love?

What draws you to return

into the merciful,

forgiving,
 Heart of God?

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?

                                    

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!