tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16799796125335595682024-03-05T10:28:35.190-05:00Reaching for Heaven(a blog of Genesis Ministries)Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-28302455145169345382010-01-13T13:19:00.001-05:002010-01-13T13:21:59.658-05:00Prayers & Pennies for HaitiDetroit’s archbishop Allen Vigneron is calling on the priests and people of the archdiocese— and all those in southeast Michigan— to be as generous as possible to the relief efforts underway for the victims of Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti. “We live in challenging financial times here in the Detroit area,” the archbishop says, “but that never seems to dampen the generosity of the people of this region when they have the opportunity to help their brothers and sisters in dire need.”<br /><br />In these early hours, officials have yet to determine the precise toll of death and destruction in the impoverished Caribbean nation, but have predicted the loss of life and property will be staggering. “We offer our prayers for the victims,” Archbishop Vigneron says, “and for all those impacted by this tragedy, especially the survivors and the relief workers on site and those on their way.”<br /><br />Among those killed in the quake was Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince, whose body was found under the rubble of his residence Wednesday morning. One report says the cathedral, all the big churches, and all of the seminaries have been destroyed.<br />Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is among the first-line responders to disaster scenes and is already in Haiti.<br /><br />The Detroit archdiocese is collecting contributions on the agency’s behalf.<br /><br /><a title="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ArchdioceseofDetroit/c38028655c/66f67ce94f/eed11aa9a8/ID=" href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ArchdioceseofDetroit/c38028655c/66f67ce94f/eed11aa9a8/ID=1516&AID=780" aid="780">Donate Online!</a><br /><br />Donations also may be made by mail by sending checks to:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">The Archdiocese of Detroit<br />CRS Relief Efforts (4th Floor)<br />1234 Washington Blvd.Detroit, MI 48226<br />(* please indicate "CRS Relief" in the lower left memo line)<br /></span></em><br /><br /><br /><a title="http://www.verticalresponse.com/landing/non-profits/?np/c38028655c" href="http://www.verticalresponse.com/landing/non-profits/?np/c38028655c"></a>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-36978222215355139442009-11-12T11:46:00.000-05:002009-11-12T11:56:36.490-05:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Are we rooted in Christ?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed,</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v21"></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.' For behold, the kingdom of God is among you."</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v22"> </a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Then he said to his disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v23"> </a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">There will be those who will say to you, 'Look, there he is,' (or) 'Look, here he is.' Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v24"> </a><a style="font-weight: bold;" name="v24">Luke 17:20-23</a></span> <br /><a name="v24"></a></div><a name="v24"><br /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><a name="v24">Does it seem to anyone else that we hear more and more people these days trying to predict the end of the world or the second coming? With movies like 2012 hitting the big screen, it can be tempting to start to buy into some of the hype. As we've been doing all week, though, we must remain solid in our foundation and rooted in Christ, or we'll wander all over the place. In this passage from Luke, Jesus speaks to us so clearly today - it's as if he's seen the trailer and is shaking his head saying, "Listen, just stand firm and don't buy into the hype." </a><br /><br />In fact, going beyond just telling us to not run after any possibility of his coming again, he tells us rather, that the kingdom of God is here among us. In that time, he was telling the Pharisees and his disciples that God was in their midst. Today, he tells us the same thing - Christ LIVES. We can begin to get into the mindset that Jesus was here 2000 years ago, we're around now trying to live up to his example, and then he'll come again one day (and we try to guess at when). We forget that our God is a living God, alive in our midst, made present to us in the Eucharist, in his in-dwelling Spirit that lives in each of us. If we worry about when Christ may come to the earth in physical form again, we lose sight of his very real presence among us now, and forget that we must continue to follow him today. Do we stay rooted in the living Christ or are we chasing the future?<br /><br />Let us pray that we might recognize Christ as he reveals himself in our midst each day, remaining rooted in the living God now, following his call to us in the present rather than pining for a future we cannot predict.<br /><a name="v24"> </a></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-69850233781299199702009-11-11T11:25:00.000-05:002009-11-12T11:42:55.449-05:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Are we willing to stand our ground against evil?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v13"> </a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v14"></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ephesians 6:12-13 </span></span> <br /><br />We talk at great length about the power of God in our lives. In this current culture, though, to talk about the power of the evil one is not as comfortable a topic. No one wants to point the finger at something and claim it to be the work of evil. Yet, if we believe in the Word of God, we know that evil works in the world to separate us from God at every turn. From Adam and Eve in the garden to the present day, there is evil at work in the world. To be able to face our struggles, we have to acknowledge that. Once we acknowledge that evil is present, we are more apt to understand the great necessity to protect ourselves with a firm, solid faith - to understand that God does work for good, but He is not the only one at work. If we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we must be vigilant in protecting that temple. It should impress upon us the need to call upon the name of Jesus with certainty in the midst of our struggles and hardships, and to do so for those around us we see immersed in the darkness of the world.<br /><br />To name evil when we see it is not to be intolerant of people in our midst. There is a great fear that we will be labeled as intolerant or some type of "-ist" if we speak the Truth about darkness. We must not fear. Truth must always be spoken in charity and without labeling people as evil, but if we do not call out the darkness and bring it into the light of Christ, then we are likely to be overcome by it. We cannot battle evil on our own - as much as movies may lead us to believe we can. The strength of our spirit is great, but it is Christ's Spirit within us, not our own human strength which gives us the fortitude and wisdom to fight the battle.<br /><br />Make no mistake, the battle that began in Eden continues to this day. We know the end - we know Christ wins. The question is, are we willing to call on His name and stand our ground against evil in the world <span style="font-weight: bold;">today</span>?<br /><br />Let us pray that we might readily call on the Holy Spirit and bring any darkness in our lives into the light of Christ, calling on the name of Jesus to overcome the struggles and battles we (and those around us) face.<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-2405968853927618342009-11-10T11:09:00.000-05:002009-11-12T11:21:52.852-05:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Are we passive recipients of God's Word?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.<a name="v25"> </a>The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.<a name="v26"> </a>And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.<a name="v27"> </a>The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Matthew 7:24-27</span><br /><br />We continue on our theme of dwelling and building today with this passage from Matthew. Once again, our lives and our bodies are likened to a house. What strikes me in reading this passage is that it is not simply hearing the words of Christ that strengthen us, but acting on them. It is not enough to passively receive Christ - we must actively practice what He has taught us. We all know that what we learn we do not retain if it is not practiced. That is precisely the wisdom Jesus leaves us with here.<br /><br />If we listen and act on what He teaches us, we begin to grow more firm in our practiced faith. If we merely listen and do nothing, when push comes to shove, there is no guarantee that we will retain what we have heard. To remain strong, we must be active in practicing our faith, and in living out that which Christ has taught us. Our faith community surrounds us to help us in this. We are called to help each other build ourselves up in Christ, to practice a living faith in our daily lives, to create a solid foundation for those times we are under pressure from the world. Are we helping one another to live out the faith we received from Christ?<br /><br />Today, pray that we might find ways to act on our faith and remain attentive to the ways that the Spirit presents us with those opportunities throughout our week.<br /><br />Come, Holy Spirit!<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-66654512801465965162009-11-09T10:44:00.000-05:002009-11-12T11:22:10.112-05:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Do we make room for God to dwell in us?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >1 Corinthians 3:16</span><br /><br />When we think of a temple or church, what immediately comes to mind? Most likely it is an image of a structure, a building, something external to ourselves. How many of us would readily say that we are worthy to be a house of God? I know I wouldn't. That is, however, exactly what Paul reminds us that we are - a temple of our living God. If we remembered this and really took it to heart, how would we change our lives? Apart from the blatantly physical ramifications (for instance, perhaps God does NOT like McDonald's quite as much as I do), how would our behavior toward others change? How would our churches change?<br /><br />This verse is at the culmination of Paul's rebuke of some of the early churches who are already in their time creating division by claiming to belong to one or another apostle, acting out of a spirit of jealousy and rivalry. We, as children of God, have one foundation - Jesus Christ. We seek unity in and under Him, and in the one Spirit by which we were baptized. In today's day and age, the divisions are endless. How do we contribute to those divisions?<br /><br />Let us pray that we might live in complete awareness of the one Spirit of God that dwells within each of us, and draw each other closer to the source of life that is Christ our Lord. May we work to eliminate all division in the body of Christ, calling on the Holy Spirit to remove any trace of jealousy, rivalry, selfishness and pride from our midst, making us truly one Body under Christ once again.<br /><br />Come, Lord Jesus, come!<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-75578746138897711842009-10-26T11:22:00.000-04:002009-10-26T11:37:54.213-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Do we hide in darkness?<div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."</em> Ephesians 5:14</strong></span></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">We are rarely in complete darkness. Even when I stumble around at night, eventually my eyes adjust and I can see enough to find my way around the house. In the same way, our spiritual lives are not ever in complete darkness no matter how troubled we might feel. Christ, our light, is always at our side. If we keep our eyes closed and choose to wallow in solitary darkness, that is our choice, but one that is completely unnecessary. All throughout the Scriptures, we are promised light, and we know that God fulfills his promises.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Too often, we walk around with our eyes closed creating our own darkness, instead of calling on the name of Jesus to give light to our lives, our fears and our worries. We would rather carry them around and it is a symptom of our unbelief. I know I am guilty of this myself. If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior, why carry around our burdens and stumble in self-imposed darkness? "Arise, O sleeper!" Basically - wake up already! God is here, Christ is alive and he brings us His light. Why in the world would we close ourselves to that?</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Today, let's put all our cares, worries, concerns and doubts out into the light of Christ and pray that He may lead us in the Truth and free us from all our burdens. Amen!</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-58947418003396455932009-10-20T17:25:00.000-04:002009-10-20T17:49:32.556-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Do We Watch What We Say?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">LORD, I call to you; come quickly to help me; listen to my plea when I call. Let my prayer be incense before you; my uplifted hands an evening sacrifice.</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v3"> </a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Set a guard, LORD, before my mouth, a gatekeeper at my lips. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Psalm 141:1-3</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Do you ever have those moments during the day where you want to take back something you've said? Ideally, if our lips are being used in prayer, they're less likely to utter those things that make us hit our foreheads in disbelief of the things that sometimes come out of our mouths. Now, I don't know any of us who spend our entire day engaged in vocal prayer - so perhaps this little psalm prayer should be our first!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We sometimes forget the power our words have to wound one another. Even the slightest utterance, if taken the wrong way or spoken in a moment of frustration, can leave lasting scars that lead us no closer to Christ. Do we spend enough time in prayer to know when the words that are on the tip of our tongue are not of the Spirit...or are perhaps being used by an entirely different spirit?<br /><br />Perhaps we might utter this prayer a little more often, or one of our own, asking the Lord's intervention. Let us pray that the Lord might keep us from speaking unless they are words that do Him justice, and keep us out of trouble!<br /><br /><br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-68850096809078010012009-10-19T09:09:00.000-04:002009-10-19T09:22:18.920-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Do We Thank God Honestly?<sup style="display: none;" class="ii">1</sup><sup style="display: none;" class="ii">12</sup><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >may praise you and not be silent. O </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" class="sc" >Lord</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > my God, I will give thanks to you for ever. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Psalm 30:11-12</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">When we are in the midst of our own misery, it sometimes feels as though it will never end. Yet, even out of the greatest suffering, God brings joy and hope. I know in my own life, though it was a miserable walk through the most trying time of it, in the end I only recall the peace and hope that God had placed in my life...through friends, through the gift of Himself. I cannot imagine how one deals with sorrow and suffering without the hand of God walking them through it and lifting them up.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As much as I cherish that experience, I also know just how easy it is to fall back into the slightest bit of despair when life is not going your way. The challenge for us today is to remain aware of the transforming power of God in our lives, and to constantly give honest thanks to Him for all He has done and continues to do. It is not of our own power, or anyone else's, that we are brought out from situations of darkness and sadness - let's honestly give thanks that the Lord never abandons us, even in what seems to be the worst times of our lives. Even better, let's not be shy to share that work of God in our lives...<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-61383706331509045322009-10-15T09:20:00.000-04:002009-10-15T09:32:24.171-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Do we lose sight of Jesus in our busyness?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me."</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v41"></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v42"></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Luke 10: 40-42</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Continuing on our theme of "busyness" this week, we have the story of Martha and Mary. It's a story I, and I'm sure many of you, know well. For my part, it is because I tend to be more of a Martha, always scurrying about, "serving." I am at first somewhat mystified when Jesus says that Mary has the better part, and then I hear him saying it to me. "Come, rest, be with me, listen to me, then go."</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We busy ourselves, even with the best of intentions, but sometimes we end up spinning our wheels and getting frustrated because we have forgotten that even our action should rest in the Lord.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Today, take a moment, even in the midst of chaos, to sit at the feet of Jesus and see what a difference that can make.</span></span><br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-38773446441790339112009-10-14T09:11:00.000-04:002009-10-14T09:23:03.626-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Are we really too busy to worship?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live with them and move among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people." </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Corinthians 6:16</span></span><br /><br />Having just come back from Rome, it is easier to envision the masses of images and idols that served as objects of worship for the ancient people. Yet, in our own day and age, we lift up our own graven images and objects that take the place of God. Where are we on Sunday - church or in front of the TV? How about daily? How many of us take the time each day to worship God (and I don't mean just recite a few prayers, call it good and move on...)? I know I am guilty of that all too familiar "Sorry, Lord, I was busy!"<br /><br />Busyness, as we touched on earlier this week, can be a great block to God's grace in our lives...or at least our openness to receiving the grace He offers. Busyness can be just as much an 'idol,' and perhaps worse, as it is often a figment of our imagination. How can we possibly be too busy for God? God promises to live with us, to move among us...and we're too busy for that?<br /><br />Worship doesn't need to be a static practice, done only in the brick and mortar building of a church, with prayers that have been prescribed by others. Worship is a way of living, not just an action. Taking time to worship each day can be as simple as realizing that God is with us in our busy lives, as simple as offering our work for the day to Him, opening it to His blessing and His will.<br /><br />Today, let's ask ourselves if we are really too busy to worship or if we've just forgotten how. If it is the latter, and let's hope it is, then let us also pray that God might send forth the wisdom of His Spirit to infuse our hearts with the knowledge and desire to live our lives in worship of Him.<br /><br />Come Holy Spirit!<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-36399990645224682572009-10-13T08:43:00.000-04:002009-10-13T08:55:12.489-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Are we working in vain?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">In vain is your earlier rising, your going later to rest, you who toil for the bread you eat; when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Psalm 127:2</span></span><br /><br />We work harder and longer hours than ever before, trying to make ends meet, trying to live up to some standard set by some person we don't even know. We do all this to what end? The cry in Ecclesiastes comes to mind - "Vanity of vanities!" What does all this toiling accomplish? Is it even toiling or idle busyness that keeps us occupied all hours of the day and night? Television, internet, even books and socializing to some extent, can distract us from what we really need.<br /><br />Where are we making time to rest in the Lord? It seems absurd in a culture obsessed with "doing" that sleeping might actually be a time for the Lord. Yet, studies continue to show that it is essential for our health that we provide ourselves that rest, that time of rebuilding physically - so why is it so outlandish to think that is a time for rebuilding spiritually as well? God often comes to us in our dreams, and God can work in us however and whenever He wishes. It just might be that it is easier for Him to do His work when we have finally stopped doing what we think is our work.<br /><br />As we work today, pray that our work might be an outward use of the gifts God has given us to share, that our work may be rooted and strengthened by the work God is doing in us. And tonight, let's give ourselves a little more time to rest in and with the Lord...<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-57006301695005622222009-10-12T09:07:00.000-04:002009-10-12T09:19:59.261-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Are we consumed with seeking signs?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">[This generation] seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Johan became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. Luke 11:29b-30</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Signs, signs everywhere there's signs... Have we become a culture obsessed? There is definitely a pocket of people in a frenzy over the end-times. This hurricane, that fire...could it be the onset of the end times? Let's not forget the Mayan calendar ends in 2012! Isn't this just a new twist on the Garden...seeking to have the full knowledge and power of God?<br /><br />As a people of God, our sign is the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus told us that we know not the day nor the hour, but that we must live our lives ready for that time. We constantly seek signs of his will for us, but I think what we truly seek is reassurance. We want to know that we are walking down the right path, that Jesus is at our side, that we are not alone. Yet, if we do not seek Christ, if we do not deepen our relationship and grow closer to the heart of Jesus, we cannot understand the "signs" he does give us. We cannot recognize the whisper of Christ if we are not seeking to be close to his Word. We cannot feel the nudge of His breath if we are not living in the Spirit.<br /><br />Today, let's take a moment to let the breath of God into our hearts more fully and consider this: are we more interested in seeking signs or seeking Christ?<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-16689591269637151212009-10-09T12:23:00.000-04:002009-10-09T12:32:01.530-04:00The Frugal'n'Fab ATL Challenge: Eating on $30/week<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiND5f8hYGiYoRt1naCYjvd89DTyf4nKKtp1R_hhUBChK4Bd36zA-yB65oKUJTKd_dU1DYWPmr5UDmryE560baRexa9LrCJWgiQTeNJD9TANVWPdu3yu2ovD691k4YJdJzM9tiMg2Sefks/s1600-h/30dollars.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiND5f8hYGiYoRt1naCYjvd89DTyf4nKKtp1R_hhUBChK4Bd36zA-yB65oKUJTKd_dU1DYWPmr5UDmryE560baRexa9LrCJWgiQTeNJD9TANVWPdu3yu2ovD691k4YJdJzM9tiMg2Sefks/s200/30dollars.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390638318748065330" border="0" /></a>The challenge? Eat for a whole week on $30. <a href="http://www.runningwithtweezers.com/runningwithtweezers/2009/10/the-eat-on-30-project-take-two.html">Read more about the challenge many Atlanta bloggers are participating in over the week.</a> Frugal'n'Fab gives it a slightly different spin, reminding us that so much of the world eats for far less than that (try $1/day). In fact, she may begin a weekly Wednesday challenge, but you'll have to read <a href="http://frugalfabatl.blogspot.com/2009/10/30-could-you-do-it.html">her blog</a> for that!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4Pzz3NSkH6KE5ZQffmYChE3553rrEHY9cCven0rmOr-7DV7a5TAuJODoCzln2Hd6LYURK5IOZaWxVCHO6c5OjfD_mNtsJsIMPWohfeH0OS7dQaZrMpkxCx0LbyAom2cfjzoS0oajBFU/s1600-h/Un_dollar_us.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 111px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4Pzz3NSkH6KE5ZQffmYChE3553rrEHY9cCven0rmOr-7DV7a5TAuJODoCzln2Hd6LYURK5IOZaWxVCHO6c5OjfD_mNtsJsIMPWohfeH0OS7dQaZrMpkxCx0LbyAom2cfjzoS0oajBFU/s200/Un_dollar_us.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390638411962463698" border="0" /></a>The question to you is this: could you live on $30 a week for food? How about $1/day? Would you even be willing to try? Stay tuned for our own Genesis Ministries challenge in the month of November. If you have suggestions for the exact details of what our challenge should be, leave 'em here!<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-72561080763139903402009-10-09T10:28:00.000-04:002009-10-09T10:59:16.087-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: How far does our mercy extend?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful.</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v37"></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" name="v38"></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Luke 6:35-38</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It's a tough day for mercy for some, I imagine. This morning, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize was announced and I truly believe the news shocked the majority of the world. There are those who will revel in the excitement of this announcement, and others who will spew venom. It is the latter half that this morning's prayer seems aptly fitting for.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It is no accident that the Holy Spirit led me to this passage this morning - I myself was astounded by the news. As I sat with these words of Christ, the question that kept popping in my head (after the "Whaaat?" from the headline), was "how far does my mercy extend?" coupled with the reminder that it is not for us to judge the heart of another. Actions...sure. But we won't go into the specifics here - I want to focus on the heart of the prayer.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">How far does mercy extend? Are we able to set aside our own judgments to let God work through us? Are we too quick to jump to conclusions and spew forth our opinions, whatever they may be? In this passage from Luke, Jesus reminds us that it is easy to love and forgive those who love us, those whom we love. The greater task of our Christian walk is to extend that same charity and mercy to those we do not have affection for, for those who may offend us at every turn.<br /><br />In the end, the only actions we can truly control are our own. As much as we can influence others and pray that they may act wisely, we cannot act for them. Let our actions always reflect God's endless mercy and forgiveness. We can be skeptics and critics, but let it be of actions and not the core of a person, and let our criticism always be bathed in charity. Let us remember always that God is the one and only judge, and we are best left sometimes to hold our tongue and extend our hearts.<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-16644747582757860972009-10-08T09:00:00.000-04:002009-10-08T09:17:42.090-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: What Are We Asking For?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened...If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children,</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Luke 11:9-10,13</span></span><br /><br />Ask and you will receive... I think this may be one of the most hopeful and yet disheartening verses of Scripture for many people. Hopeful, because Christ makes us a great promise. Disheartening because we stop reading after two lines and misunderstand him. So many times I've been asked 'why, if we pray and are faithful, do our prayers go unanswered? God promised to answer, that we would receive what we asked for honestly in prayer!'<br /><br />If we read the full passage here, however, we see that what Jesus promises us, what it is that we should be asking for, is the Holy Spirit. Ask for the Spirit and you will receive. Seek the Spirit and you will find it. Knock at the Spirit's door, and he will answer. Ahhh...that's right, God is not a genie. We don't simply make our wishes and demands known in order to have him grant them. God most certainly answers all our prayers...it's just that he answers them according to His will, not ours, so sometimes the answer is "no"...or at least, "not yet."<br /><br />The great lesson of this passage for me today is that what we should be asking for with more desire is the Holy Spirit - that is the great gift that God has for us...his own Spirit that lives with us and in us. Through the Holy Spirit, we grow closer to the will of God so that our deepest desires mirror his more closely. After all, what God desires for us is what in the end is most fulfilling. So...what are we waiting for? Ask, seek and find!<br /><br />Come, Holy Spirit!<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-1821112643853927192009-10-07T09:29:00.000-04:002009-10-07T09:43:59.704-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: How do we get past a prayer block?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Luke 11:1</span></span><br /><br />Of course, if you continue reading this passage, it leads us to Luke's version of what has become known as the staple Christian prayer of the Our Father. Many saints over the years have provided their prayerful guidance in the use of that prayer. Jesus leaves us with great direction in teaching us, through his disciples and the apostles, that prayer. But, what do we do when rote prayer becomes all we can offer? Is that enough?<br /><br />The beauty of the "rote prayers" of Catholicism is that they are there when that IS all we can offer. It is no mistake that Jesus gave us words to pray, knowing that there would be times when we would be lost, feeling weary and without direction. It is no coincidence that the Church continues in the footsteps of Christ, through the saints and apostles of prayer, to give us other prayers to help us begin our conversation with God when we are at a loss.<br /><br />Yet, it is not the Our Father or those prayers I wish to focus on today. While they are meaningful and good prayers, it is the question of the disciples in the passage above that peaks my interest. When we are down and out and feeling disconnected, how do we move past that block to prayer? Does pulling out an "oldie but goodie" standard prayer move us? Or do we use it as a crutch to fulfill a perceived obligation to pray?<br /><br />The question the disciples ask may be the first clue as to the real mode of jumping over any hurdles to prayer - ask God. One theologian, (Richard Rohr, I believe), said something to the effect of 'the more we talk, the less it is prayer.' I think sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking in order to pray, we've got to find the right words. Yet, time and time again in Scripture we are reminded that we are able to connect to the Father and Son by the gift of the Spirit. It is the Spirit moving in us that inspires us into communion with God. When we are struggling, it is the Spirit we invite in to change our hearts, to silence us if we need, or to empower us with words if it be the will of God.<br /><br />Sometimes, our need to be vocal in prayer is its own hindrance to deeper prayer. Next time you are having trouble praying, simply open yourself and ask the Spirit to pray in and through you, teaching you to pray and converse more closely with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May it lead you leaps and bounds beyond whatever prayer obstacle you faced!<br /><br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-39018780385248641642009-10-06T07:31:00.000-04:002009-10-06T07:44:02.373-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Do we recognize the good in all God's creation?<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Psalm 145:8-9</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Kind, full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love...how many people do we know who fit that bill? I'd like to think that many of us come so very close, and yet, in that moment of carelessness, the snide remark, the angry retort, the closed heart creeps in. Is it that we are not "good Christians"? I don't think so. I think in the end, it is that we are of human flesh and blood and those human weaknesses are exploited at times.<br /><br />I wonder, too, if part of the problem is that we are so conditioned to decide who is "in" and who is "out" from an early age, that our attitudes toward people are more apt to let us slide in Christian charity to those who are "less worthy" of our compassion, kindness, gentleness and love. But we are not to be of this world, though we most certainly live in it. We are to pattern ourselves after Christ, who recognized the goodness of all creation as the work of his Father.<br /><br />I remember on one retreat, as we were talking about forgiveness, someone shared this little pearl of wisdom - even Jesus on the cross called upon his Father's name and power, not his own, to forgive those who were torturing him and killing him. Perhaps, when we are unable to see the good in someone or something that is causing us distress, we can offer them back to the Lord, asking his blessing on them when we are ourselves are not up to offering our own.<br /><br />And let us always pray that the Lord, creator of all, might break into our own human frailty at moments we need to see his goodness in what surrounds us.<br /><br />Come, Lord Jesus, enter our hearts...<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-77492711301696750982009-10-05T13:33:00.001-04:002009-10-05T13:47:21.899-04:00From Respect Life Sunday to Respecting Life Always...Here is an uplifting story about a proactive initiative to help college age students faced with an unplanned pregnancy... Interestingly, Belmont is the home of Belmont Abbey College which has recently found itself in the midst of a tussle regarding the legality of the restrictions in its insurance coverage for employees. The College, in accordance with Catholic teaching, does not include coverage for abortions, prescription contraceptives or elective sterilization procedures. [Read more <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-12455-Philadelphia-Catholic-Examiner%7Ey2009m8d19-A-pregnant-pause-for-religious-freedom">here</a>]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" id="LabelNewsTitle" class="LabelColumnTitle" >Center Aims to Give Pregnant College Students True Choice </span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" id="LabelBy" class="LabelBy" ><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" id="LabelBy" class="LabelBy" ><span style="font-size:85%;">By</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" id="LabelAuthor" class="LabelAuthor" >Nancy Fra</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" id="LabelAuthor" class="LabelAuthor" >zier O'Brien</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" id="LabelSourceBy" class="LabelBy" ><br />Source:</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > </span><span id="LabelSource" class="LabelSource" style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Catholic News Service</span> <span id="LabelPublishedDate" class="LabelPublishedDate" style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><div class="contentArea" style="z-index: 90;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharLnHbtHgBT80fZLPkKyTtF1WiXFmsB8lNQ31x5rhIXrFk32zmw5Lw1EJ_nWKQJoh83b9-qiRe0Rd9q2LCWsoPT8vZ3wjjirG_mP86VwwpSx1MybPMpcgYH4G-ls46vYkET7AvRzuJAA/s1600-h/getImageFromDB.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharLnHbtHgBT80fZLPkKyTtF1WiXFmsB8lNQ31x5rhIXrFk32zmw5Lw1EJ_nWKQJoh83b9-qiRe0Rd9q2LCWsoPT8vZ3wjjirG_mP86VwwpSx1MybPMpcgYH4G-ls46vYkET7AvRzuJAA/s200/getImageFromDB.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389173350991180370" border="0" /></a><span id="LabelColumnText" style="font-size:100%;">WASHINGTON —Lacy Dodd, a 33-year-old banking professional and mother of one, knows precisely where supporters and opponents of legal abortion can find common ground.</span><br /><br /><span id="LabelColumnText" style="font-size:100%;">It's on nearly four acres donated by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey in Belmont, N.C., where Room at the Inn, a Charlotte-based pregnancy resource center, hopes to build the nation's first campus-based maternity and after-care residence for pregnant college students.</span>... [<a href="http://www.americancatholic.org/news/report.aspx?id=1702">Read full story</a>]<br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-66834460874995802382009-10-05T07:31:00.000-04:002009-10-05T07:47:27.891-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Who is in charge of our lives?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">O search me, God and know my heart. O test me and know my thoughts. See that I follow not the wrong path and lead me in the path of life eternal. Psalm 139:23-24</span></span><br /><br />Have you ever seen those bumperstickers out there that say "God (or Jesus) is my co-pilot"? I always laugh at first and then am reminded rather quickly that they are just a little bit off on their enthusiasm. God is not our "co-pilot" - God is the pilot. We're not just passengers along for the ride, but neither are we in equal position with God.<br /><br />If we read any story in Scripture, we are constantly reminded that great trouble begins when we think we can take the lead and see if God will follow. The same still rings true today. Though it is a lesson often learned not with any little effort, there is great release in getting to the point in our relationship with God that we can turn the reins over to Him and learn to take direction. It is entirely freeing to realize we do not always need to know it all or be able to do it all. A burden is taken off our shoulders when we live with the knowledge that God will prepare our way, even in ways we would never imagine. We have to work in cooperation with God, of course, but even when we screw up, as we inevitably will, God will make it right again if we allow him room to move.<br /><br />So today, take a moment to pray about who is in charge of your life...is God your co-pilot or <span style="font-style: italic;">the </span>pilot?<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-80068824532540603522009-09-24T13:02:00.001-04:002009-09-24T13:03:57.099-04:00Sorry for the hiatus!My apologies for not posting before leaving, but we are on a hiatus until October 4! I am currently on my honeymoon in Rome, so you won't hear from me until we return. I will post some pics of Papa B and highlights of some of the sites when I am back.<br /><br />Until then, God bless!<br />RakhiGenesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-15902327591079907742009-09-15T10:07:00.000-04:002009-09-15T10:17:49.802-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Can We Offer God Everything?<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">How numerous, O LORD, my God, you have made your wondrous deeds! And in your plans for us there is none to equal you. Should I wish to declare or tell them, too many are they to recount.</span><a style="font-style: italic;" name="v7"></a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Sacrifice and offering you do not want; but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts and sin-offerings you do not require;</span><a style="font-style: italic;" name="v8"> </a><span style="font-style: italic;">so I said, "Here I am."</span> Psalm 40:6-8a</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Here I am, I come to do your will.</span> That is all the Lord asks of us...all of ourselves. Yet, saying yes to the Lord is life-altering, and not always in ways we would anticipate or choose for ourselves. Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. We need only to look at the life of Mary to see the unthinkable ways in which the Lord leads us if we offer ourselves to Him. Betrothed, not married, she became with child. In the early years of her marriage, she fled her home to provide safety, trusting Joseph was being led by God. She raised a son, whom she loved as her son and God's son, only to see him brutally murdered, unable to help him...and asked not to do so as his sacrifice was for a greater cause. For her faith and for her suffering she was greatly rewarded with protection throughout her life and a glorious assumption into heaven at the end of it.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, we're no Mary, that's for sure! Like Mary, though, we need to keep our eyes focused on the bigger picture. It is easy to get stuck in the little trying details, but when we step back I think most of us would agree that God's hand has blessed us more than we sometimes acknowledge. Today, let's let go of what we hold back from God, and following Mary's example, offer our whole lives to him with expectant faith and trust in his providence for us.<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-75666596555563437352009-09-14T07:52:00.000-04:002009-09-14T08:10:05.660-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Is the cross a stumbling block for us?<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">...But we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block for Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.</span> 1 Corinthians 1:20-25</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">That Christ allowed himself to be crucified is indeed a weakness in the eyes of the world. The great and glorious God-man subjected himself to the torturous and humiliating death of a criminal. Foolishness? Stumbling block? Or as St. Paul so beautifully explains in Philippians, a perfect act of total humility, not humiliation?<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the question we must ask ourselves. Do we understand the necessity and power of the cross, some two thousand years later, or has it become once again a stumbling block that confounds us or a glitch in the story that seems a little far-fetched and foolish? In addition to the physical structure of torture, the cross refers to our own struggles and suffering. There is no denying that in this life, we have been and are separated from God. This separation brings with it inherent struggles, varying in degrees for everyone. Add to that this notion: to believe in Christ, to LIVE in Christ is not a comfortable life. It is one filled with choices, and as foretold in the Gospels, one in which we will have to bear our cross. We have a choice. We can embrace that suffering, recognizing its ability to unite us with Jesus, or we can allow it to become a stumbling block in our faith. We can call upon the name of Christ, who endured crucifixion, in our suffering, or we can try to alleviate it through our own means. In the end, which is the real foolishness?<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-9348204465918902009-09-11T09:07:00.000-04:002009-09-11T09:25:04.551-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Do We See Ourselves as One in Christ?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; The reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth.</span> Isaiah 25:8</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">On this day eight years ago, we - a new generation of Americans - experienced a tragedy that we'd only heard equaled in our history books. For the first time in our lives, American soil had been attacked in grand scale. The fear, the sorrow, the disbelief - it was all overwhelming for some. Even in challenge, the spirit of the nation moved toward compassion and unity, if only for a moment. And then...we turned to revenge. The dark side of trauma came to light - the anger, the suspicion, and blatant racism returned.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Those are choices we face every day. In the midst of trying times, our weaknesses gain a little strength. It is up to us to continue to call upon the Lord to give us strength, to dry our tears, so that we may choose always to live in the light of compassion and mercy, guided by the Holy Spirit and not by the powers of darkness that reside in anger and vengeance.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Eight years later, we've moved on a little, especially if we feel we weren't personally affected. But then, can any of us truly claim that? How many of us know someone who lost someone, or someone who was safe but there? How many of us know someone serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, or someone who was lost there? In a bout of myopic self-centeredness, we might say "I am unaffected." We, however, belong to a greater body than our own - we belong to the body of Christ. In each others' misery, we are always affected...if we choose to acknowledge it.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, regardless of what side of the political spectrum we inhabit, let us once again put aside our own opinions and assurances. Let us pray instead for all those who lost their lives in that tragic day and in the years that followed, those who still mourn loved ones, those who are serving their country in the military and their loved ones...let us pray that we may see ourselves connected as one in Christ.<br /><br />And perhaps even more difficult, let's remember to also pray for those who committed these atrocities and continue to use violence in the name of God.<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-23883941750727138392009-09-10T10:27:00.000-04:002009-09-10T10:42:04.409-04:00Daily Prayer Reflection: Has the Golden Rule gotten tarnished?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. </span>Colossians 3:12-14<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,</span><a style="font-style: italic;" name="v28"> </a><span style="font-style: italic;">bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you</span><a style="font-style: italic;" name="v29"></a><span style="font-style: italic;">...</span><span style="font-style: italic;">Do to others as you would have them do to you.</span><a style="font-style: italic;" name="v32"> </a><span style="font-style: italic;">For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. </span>Luke 6:27-32</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>Ouch. That is the only thing I think every time I read these words of Christ. Well, "ouch" and "d'oh!" I'd say many of us probably read this thinking...oops - I'll get it next time... Unfortunately, our lives aren't to be lived for "next time" - we're supposed to embrace this now. What really strikes me about this passage is not the Scripture alone, but the impression that people make when they actually live in this peace and kindness.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Off the top of my head, I can think of a handful of people whom I have never heard say a nasty word about anyone. That's not to say that they haven't been upset or frustrated. Instead, it is to say that their reaction was not one of gossiping or badmouthing those who were the culprit of their frustration. It's easy to judge, saying "oh, they're just fake!" And yet, there is this undeniable peace in their spirit that exudes an honest joy, even in their sorrow.<br /><br />Today, that characteristic is, unfortunately, rare. Judgment falls before mercy and compassion. Pride edges out humility. Infatuation and addiction replace Love. Fear overcomes trust. This is not what Christ intended for those who call on His name! "Fear not!" "Love one another..." "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts..." <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">That</span>, dear friends, is what our Lord calls us to.<br /><br />Faith, hope and love - it's not just a trite verse to be used at weddings - it is a way of life to be seated at our very core. It is a way of life that lets us lead with mercy, to love without fear, to live with the knowledge that all we are is by the grace of God, and what a privilege He has given us - each and every one of us. It is what helps us to live out that Golden Rule. Has the gold tarnished in your own life?<br /></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1679979612533559568.post-72792604208713361132009-09-09T16:55:00.000-04:002009-09-09T17:01:34.976-04:00Fr. Leo Patalinghug of "Grace Before Meals" takes on Bobby Flay of the Food Network!<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y8baPWuemEXalYTIKgs8s7GWYen0h_5i_XxT_o6TrdG-8QlGrKO0VoqSfNjXHzaxfUK2qmlGKgAR1saCXn5PUdyXZUdYr0bAY7cXKUGgYzKdXWQgD701a2dyubOfgVSAp8eiwgRoPi0/s1600-h/Frleothrowdown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y8baPWuemEXalYTIKgs8s7GWYen0h_5i_XxT_o6TrdG-8QlGrKO0VoqSfNjXHzaxfUK2qmlGKgAR1saCXn5PUdyXZUdYr0bAY7cXKUGgYzKdXWQgD701a2dyubOfgVSAp8eiwgRoPi0/s320/Frleothrowdown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379574793677332514" border="0" /></a>Father Leo Patalinghug believes that the key to a healthy family are healthy meals eaten together, and he's sending that message out through his web show, "Grace Before Meals." With 10,000 hits a day, Father Leo is able to share his wisdom and his family friendly recipes in order to feed his flock: body, mind and soul.<br /><br />With dishes like Fusion Steak Fajitas, Father Leo is winning over his audience with every bite. But, will a little divine intervention help this Father when the Grill Master Bobby Flay heads into town on this episode of Throwdown?<br /><br />To find out more about Fr. Leo and his ministry, visit the Grace Before Meals website at <a href="http://www.gracebeforemeals.com">www.gracebeforemeals.com</a>!<br /><br />Watch the episode on the Food Channel tonight, September 9 @ 9 p.m. ET/PT or catch a repeat airing later in September!<br /> <br /> <p>Sep 10, 2009 @ 12:00 AM ET/PT or Sep 20, 2009 @ 11:00 PM ET/PT</p></div>Genesis Ministrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07815584819127272987noreply@blogger.com0