Step Out Like a Caterpillar and Fly

September 16, 2022/1 Comment/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Conversion Stories, Defending the Faith, Faith, Hope/by Kimberly Novak

Step Out Like a Caterpillar and Fly

Does the caterpillar know transformation is imminent? I imagine it has no idea that change is about to take place, and soon it will be something more beautiful than it was.

I have spent many years focused on the beauty of the butterfly, though some would call it an obsession rather than mere interest. I first fell in love with the butterfly during a life trial when I learned the spiritual significance of re-birth, new life, and transformation. I strived every day to be the butterfly.

Over several years, my faith and time with God blossomed, and He blessed me with new friends and relationships. I committed to living as a butterfly by reinventing aspects of my life and living in the ways I felt God calling me. Little did I know that God was preparing me for something bigger, something unexpected, and something I’ll never forget.

Many times on my journey of becoming the butterfly I thought I had reached transformation, only to be struck down by life again. I never anticipated life as a butterfly as perfect. I had visited butterfly houses on many occasions and witnessed broken wings, or simply those that had reached life expectancy.

What needed to transform was how I handled life’s struggles. I’m not an expert, but I imagine the caterpillar does not need to prepare for transformation. Likewise, many times we do not see or anticipate the upcoming circumstances that will be life-changing. When a storm comes, we are thrown in without knowing when we will come out of it. This is similar to how the caterpillar observes its situation inside the chrysalis.

One day in a moment of prayer, God revealed that my focus needed to shift from wanting to be the butterfly to living as the caterpillar. Soon I knew the change would entail embracing every struggle knowing that in the end, God would bless me with something better and more beautiful. I began imagining how a caterpillar might react to God’s instruction and focused my efforts on becoming a new and improved version of my old self.

Becoming Bella was my new way of life; in Italian, Bella means beautiful. I did all I could to bring God with me into every struggle; thus, it would become beautiful. I learned to treat each battle or bump in the road of life as a gift. One where God would reveal the lesson or blessing, allowing the caterpillar within to emerge and fly as the butterfly God prepared it to be.

I learned so much through this way of thinking, and every new day God blesses me with more insight into life as a caterpillar. This way of living and thinking takes courage, and I can’t think of anything more wonderful than a courageous caterpillar!

Sitting in a room full of butterflies, I can see where the caterpillar lives. I wonder whether the caterpillar knew it was going to become a butterfly. I meditate on that and consider the first thought once emerging from the chrysalis, “is this the end or the beginning of something new?”

Flammable

September 11, 2022/0 Comments/in Devotionals, Faith, Family Life, Poetry, Prayer, Spiritual Life/by Paula Veloso Babadi

Flammable

Our words and actions matter to others. When the natives in Malta took care of Paul and companions, they had no idea of the recent hardships at sea or the blessings they would receive when the chief’s father and many others were cured of illness. Can we say we are as hospitable in our everyday dealings?

The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Acts 28:2

In nature, the careless toss of a match or neglect of a dying campfire can wreak havoc and destruction. That same carelessness with words can cause just as much damage and inflame a person’s emotional state. Today, hurtful rhetoric is everywhere. How do we get past the politics, the hate, the fight mentality? We must start somewhere, one encounter at a time.

Some years ago, my husband had to undergo a procedure. He was afraid and in pain. When the nurse at the outpatient facility was brusque with his questions and seemingly impatient, he lost his cool and began raising his voice. He became angry and seemed inconsolable, until the head nurse appeared in the doorway and gently pulled him to the back kindly talking him out of his feverish pitch. I thought how understanding she was, how insightful to see beyond his ire to recognize the emotions behind the outburst.

I questioned my own responses on other occasions when confronted with irate people and decided then and there I would look beyond the harsh words and return them with gentleness. It’s not always an easy thing to do. Instead of returning the heat of the fire, I want to return a heart burning with the same love and kindness our Lord has for each of us.

My prayer for creation is that we strive to soothe and nurture this earth and each other – and if inevitable fires do ensue, may we focus on new growth arising from the ashes.

During the procedure, I penned my thoughts, and the following poem is the fruit of that encounter.

Flammable

Incendiary par with war-time evening news,
Coals heaped upon a head already burning-
Caution cries to censor words we choose
That set aflame the limbic system churning.
.
Kind response is water quenching fire –
A touch, a smile can cool the hottest ire.
In the end it’s all about the fear, the pain
That spoken words can soothe like water’s springs or
Aggravate like biting fire’s rain.
.
Partake of introspection if you dare
And count today times you’ve said
“I don’t care.”

Oxygen Mask of Spirituality

September 9, 2022/2 Comments/in Faith, Family Life, Inspirational/by Maria Riley

Oxygen Mask of Spirituality

If you’ve ever flown on an airplane with a child, you know that the flight attendants instruct that, in case of an emergency, you should secure your own oxygen mask before assisting your child. The reason is that you’re no good to your kids if you’re dead.

I’ve heard many people reference this example with respect to self-care. We need to make sure we are healthy, well rested, and cared for so that when we turn to help the other people in our lives, we have more to give them. The same concept applies to our spiritual lives.

Sharing the Gospel is the mission of every Christian. As parents, we are especially tasked to tell God’s story of salvation to our children. This is no small task, and the truth is, if we do not actively seek out our own flow of oxygen to grow in our own faith and relationship with God, we won’t be equipped to help anyone else, even our own kids.

Attending Sunday Mass is obviously the first step, but I believe that is not enough. We also need daily intentional spiritual development time. The trouble is, with our hectic lives and packed schedules, how can we make purposeful time for God?

The answer lies in using the tools and resources other faithful Catholics have created.

Explore what options your local parish has for study and fellowship. There may be a prayer ministry, a women’s group, or a Bible study. Instead of listening to music in the car, turn on a Catholic podcast (if you haven’t listened to it yet, The Bible in a Year podcast will change your life). There are Catholic Bible apps so you can read scripture on the go, and many apps that also have prayers, reflections, and daily readings, like the Hallow and Amen apps.

You can also sign up to get a daily inspirational email from Catholic organizations like Word on Fire or CatholicMom.com. Swap out your secular books with Catholic fiction, and trade Netflix for Formed, which is an online streaming service with shows, reflections, and even content for kids offered for free by the Augustine Institute.

Finally, one of the best and most fulfilling ways to grow closer to Jesus is through Christ-centered friendships. Jesus came to earth as a human so he could talk with and eat with us. When he commissioned his followers, he sent them out two by two (cf. Mark 6:7 & Luke 10:1). We aren’t meant to go it alone! The support and love of a Christ-loving friend can easily nurture and empower you to proclaim the message God has given you to share.

With so many options in this modern, tech-filled world, you will easily find daily ways to grow in your understanding and relationship with God, thereby further equipping you for your mission.

Now go and put on your own oxygen mask of spirituality, because you’re no good to anyone if you’re spiritually dead.

The Passion of Christ

September 3, 2022/2 Comments/in Current events, Devotionals, Eucharist, Faith, History, Hope/by Margaret Zacharias

The Passion of Christ

These days the media seems to besiege us with headlines about the next terrible plague. Whether it’s the latest Covid variant or a new, horrible pox, it’s challenging not to become anxious. We shudder, and continue to pray that we and our families will be spared.

Imagine living in the seventeenth century Alps. Already ravaged by the Thirty Years’ War, Bavarian villagers learn that the Black Plague has come to town, in the person of a foreign peddler. They know that this frightening new disease has killed entire populations throughout the region. What will they do?

In 1633, the citizens of the Catholic village of Oberammergau, Germany, made a communal promise to God. If he saw fit to spare their town, if no one in the village died of the plague over the next twelve months, they would perform a play about the passion of Christ every tenth year, in perpetuity.

The first Oberammergau Passion Play to fulfill that offering was staged in 1634. Their promise has been faithfully kept for almost 400 years. (For more information, visit www.passionsspiele-oberammergau.de/en/home.)

Both the script and the methods of performance have evolved over the centuries. But even today, the play is still performed in its historical style of tableau. It is presented in two parts, each two-and-a-half hours long, with a break for dinner in between.

Every actor must have been born in the village, and nearly every native citizen is included somewhere in the ensemble of players.

In 2019, I watched a video of the casting ceremony for the 2020, now 2022, performances.

With an altar server carrying the crucifix before him, the parish pastor processed out of his church into the village square. The entire platz was filled with townspeople. Gathered to hear him announce the names of the persons chosen to portray the most illustrious characters, they maintained absolute silence.

The priest stopped next to the village school teacher; a young woman attired in an impeccably-pressed shirtwaist dress. She was poised at a large blackboard, already prepared with the names of the major characters, to write the names. An alternate was also chosen for each role, in order to sustain the lengthy performance season, five days a week from May to October.

As the teacher carefully inscribed each name in exquisite handwriting, no cheers or congratulations marred the solemnity of the occasion. Only a few murmurs of satisfaction, or mild disappointment, could be heard on the film.

I’m still hoping and praying to attend the 2022 Passion Play this September.

In 2018, when my travel companion and I first began to consider our mutual bucket list trip, we were both in perfect health. Then the originally scheduled 2020 event was postponed to 2022 because of the world-wide Covid-19 pandemic.

Recently, just as our long-awaited dreams seemed about to become reality, my travel companion sustained injuries in a bicycle accident. The same week in July, I sprained an ankle.

As I walked down the hall of my apartment building a couple of nights ago, I ran into a friend who is over ninety years old. She was working out a pain in her hip at the same time I was exercising my sprained ankle.

She said, “I’ll give you my Oberammergau jacket.”

I looked at her tiny frame, then at my own considerably more substantial one, and said, “Thank you so much. But I don’t think it will fit me.”

She told me that she had attended the Oberammergau Passion Play in her younger years. After we conversed with awe about the endurance of this Bavarian tradition, she shared a parting thought about her own pilgrimage.

“I always think of that time as a special privilege.”

Both of my friends regularly take advantage of the opportunities offered to us all as Catholics, to attend mass and to be active serving neighbors in urban villages that can operate like small towns.

As I reflected on her words, I heard a message from the Holy Spirit.

At every mass, in every liturgical season, we have motivation to gather as a living community, just as the townspeople do in alpine villages like Oberammergau. We have daily chances to meditate on the passion of Christ at every mass.

It’s because the people of Oberammergau do these things that they have been able to keep a four-century-old promise, generation after generation.

It really doesn’t matter if health challenges, personal finances, family responsibilities, or the world situation allow us to travel to Jerusalem or Oberammergau – or not.

Christ’s loving offering of his passion for our salvation is eternal.

He comes to us every day, on every altar, wherever and whenever the eucharist is celebrated.

How blessed we are, indeed, by that special privilege.

Never Let a Dream Grow Cold

August 19, 2022/0 Comments/in Catholic Theme, Faith, Inspirational/by Kimberly Novak

“Place your hope in the Lord: be strong and courageous
in your heart,and place your hope in the Lord.”
Psalm 27:14 (New Catholic Bible)

Dreams come in all sizes, shapes, and forms like brilliant clouds in the sky. Sleep dreams are out of our control, like a movie that plays out as we rest. Life dreams or goals are the ones we think we can control. A common thread is waiting.

Dreaming while we sleep requires little effort. All we need to do is close our eyes (or shades as some refer to them), which God has provided for our rejuvenation. The waiting part of a sleep dream is in the moments before we drift off to our slumber. The subject of the dreams is determined only by God and the unconscious thoughts which come alive as we dream. Often, a dream that occurs at night is only a blurred image that we can’t put our finger on. The events of the dream may be remembered in days to come, but most often they fade into a vast array of past dreams.

As we sleep, dreams play out and affect us with happy, sad, or even scared emotional responses depending on the dream. It is often helpful to keep a dream journal handy when you wake up and remember the dream vividly. Recording the dream is beneficial in determining a dream pattern and perhaps a gift or insight from the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us that God can speak to us through our dreams. Therefore, though sleep dreams may seem trivial sometimes, it may be fruitful not to let them grow cold.

We read about many sleep dreams in the bible. The three wise men who traveled to pay homage to Jesus received such a dream. We learn that “having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way” (Matthew 2:12).

Life dreams or goals are significantly more complicated than those mentioned above because they encompass our expectations and a high level of emotional attachment. Dreams of this nature are often afflicted with the task of waiting. We have heard terms like dashed dreams or a dream come true, two different extremes often requiring one to wait patiently.

We wait because we need or want something to happen, and when we are waiting for a dream or goal to come alive, this can bring frustration, sadness, and doubt. One way to counterbalance this is to invite God into the pause.

Taking life dreams into prayerful conversation with our Lord not only makes the wait manageable, but it also confirms that the plan aligns with glorifying God. I can’t count how many times my ambitions were suddenly halted. In each case, my emotional response was not pleasant until I realized that what I wanted was not of God but entirely my own vision.

I like to think of dreams for my life in this way, that I am waiting patiently for the Lord without expectations. I surrender my thoughts, words, and plans to the vision of my God. Prayer becomes the catalyst for making dreams come true. Growing in intimacy with God as we discuss the details of such dreams is a beautiful experience. Journaling each step, concern, and joyful moment helps to keep me aligned with God’s vision.

God wants us to succeed and be happy, and so He places the seeds for dreams in our hearts. Eventually, insights will become easier to recognize, and hopes and dreams will come alive. Never, ever let a dream grow cold. God is working in you, for you and His Glory!

Thickets

August 14, 2022/0 Comments/in Beauty, Devotionals, Faith, Poetry, Prayer, Spiritual Life/by Paula Veloso Babadi

Thickets are the middle stage of nature’s marvelous development of a forest. From a clear and open space, seeds of grasses, weeds and wildflowers take root and create a meadow that soon fosters shrubs and small trees. Eventually, through a process of change that means the dying of some to make room for new growth, a forest is born. Miriam Webster defines thicket as “a dense growth of shrubbery or small trees” and “something resembling a thicket in density or impenetrability.” Sometimes, the heavy overgrowth of daily life can close us in, encroach on our spirit. Along that path there have been thickets, veils, barriers of all kinds. We see thickets with our eyes. But we feel the shrouded thickness of unseen veils with our hearts. Relationships can sometimes challenge us with an invisible thicket that blocks a clear path if we let it. I wrote the poem, “Thickets” when I was much younger and didn’t have the benefit of countless spiritual retreats and parish Bible studies.

Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, NRSVCE)

I’ve come from the carefree meadow of my youth and am winding my way through life’s thickets which led me to the words of Isaiah –

Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee. (Isaiah 26:3, NRSVCE)

The tangled journey is all part of a grand design, and with God, nothing is impenetrable or impossible when He resides in the “thick of it” – not even the unseen veils covering wounded people. In the loving care of our Creator, we can walk through anything. I choose to walk through the thickets with Him by my side.

…And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20, NRSVCE)

Thickets

(Thoughts on Renoir’s “On the Terrace”)

There is a curtain green-thick and tangled
that hides us from the blue of other sides.
.
There is a veil –fine, frail, colorless –
that keeps me from her pale-white touch.
.
I clasp a brown-warm basket and cast my gaze
into the empty space,
while she, unseeing
looks away to weary reds and yellows.
.
The green-thick and tangled curtain
that hides us from the blue of other sides
is easier to pass through
than the veil between us.

Except for the Lord.

A Committed Heart

July 17, 2022/0 Comments/in Faith, Hope, Prayer, Spiritual Life/by Kimberly Novak

Kimberly Novak reflects on the commitment of Jesus made perfect without sin.

A committed heart finds a way, whereas an un-committed heart makes excuses. This month we celebrate the Precious Blood of Jesus, an unblemished promise poured out to forgive sins. My relationship with God tells me that this is a commitment unlike anyone could ever imagine or pledge. A gift that is guaranteed to those who commit their heart to God through the treasured love of Jesus.

As we arise each day, God sends blessings and graces through thoughts, circumstances, and longings, often leading to a choice or commitment. It is easy to begin daily with the mindset to accomplish great things. Undoubtedly, this is short-lived when the day’s events cut down a motivated heart.

In my mind, a hopeful heart is a committed heart. One that looks at the bright side of every circumstance, no matter what. I like to consider that was the mindset of my Lord as He made the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus, perfect without sin, made a sacrificial commitment, all for the Glory of God.

Committing involves dedicating or obligating yourself to something or someone. It is a promise made to yourself, another, or our Heavenly Father. Recently, I’ve found myself in a group fitness challenge. I committed to 13 other individuals to do my best and accomplish the exercise goal each day. This encouragement is often successful, as the benefit outweighs letting someone down.

There are many instances in life where we can apply this type of motivation, from diet, exercise, job focus, family, and our time spent with God. These examples are necessary for maintaining a positive balance in our lives. Also, all of which require a committed heart. Jesus’ commitment to us was a great love, given freely and without hesitation. How then might we strive to commit ourselves to the things God is calling us toward in this life?

We must consider commitment in the following ways. Firstly, where does daily duty lie, and is God a part of that? The point is moot without God as the central purpose of what we allow ourselves to do daily. When our responsibilities become overwhelming, following this rule of finding God in them will help simplify and remove an obligation not meant for us.

Secondly, where does daily un-commitment showup, and how can God help control those excuses? There are countless circumstances when it becomes easy to slack off, skip a day, or make a promise to do something later. When it is hard to follow through, perhaps, reflecting on what excuses might look like to God will prove helpful.

Soon, thoughts and reasons transform into nurturing a committed heart through consistent prayer and an ongoing relationship with God. Through the Holy Spirit, beauty takes hold as God reveals where to focus responsibility. Before we know it, decisions are in partnership with God, commitments are God-Centered, and every day is lived all in God’s Glory. How wonderful that must look to our God in heaven!

Even Scraps, Received in Faith, Bring Healing

July 14, 2022/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Hope, Love, Mercy, Prayer, Spiritual Life, The Mystery of Suffering/by Allison Gingras

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. ~ Mark 7:26-30

How many demons do we need Jesus to drive out? Do you struggle with insecurity, anxiety, uncertainty, maybe addiction, a difficult relationship, or financial crisis? How remarkable that even the smallest grace from Jesus, the scraps, has the power to transform our life. Imagine the possible freedom awaiting us if we embraced even a tiny bit of the blessings Jesus has to offer us. The gifts available from heaven are abundant, meaning we do not need to settle for the crumbs, yet if that were all we allowed ourselves to dine upon we’d still be filled.

Our lives would not be perfect or free from those things that worry, concern, or pain us, but there would be a sense of inner peace and hope that can only come from heaven. The woman came to Jesus prepared to be persistent, humble, and assured. Persistent in her begging; humble enough to address Him as Lord and take whatever scraps He offered; and surely she believed what He said was done because she left for home at His command. When was the last time I approached Jesus in that way—begging for some assistance, humbled by His majesty and glory, and yet completely sure that I would, in some way, receive a blessing? Confident in Jesus’ answer to my prayer, regardless of what I sought, accepting the scraps falling from the heavenly banquet?

So, what holds us back from being fed by Jesus? Feeling, perhaps, unworthy of even the crumbs from His table? How can the Syrophoenician woman’s example encourage us to approach Jesus for assistance in whatever demons we are trying to eradicate from our lives?

Jesus, I believe that you have so much more to offer me than I am ever able to accept. Lord, I thank you for calling me to your banquet, and whether I put myself at the table for the feast or at your feet for the crumbs, help me to be always assured I will never be without your blessing and grace.

Lessons from the Ditch

July 10, 2022/1 Comment/in Devotionals, Faith, Mercy, Poetry, Spiritual Life/by Paula Veloso Babadi

I’m glad I was paying attention years ago when our beloved pastor at the time gave his homily on the Good Samaritan – today’s Gospel reading. You’ve all heard the account of Jesus explaining what it means to be a good neighbor (Luke 10:25-37). On that Sunday, Father Thanh proposed an entirely new perspective: we are the man in the ditch, and God is our merciful Samaritan.

Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the Pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Psalm 69:15-16

The psalmist knew many perils lurk to rob us of possessions, joy, comfort and conscious living. He also knew God’s love and mercy are boundless. But we easily forget as we let our worries and anxieties bury us in our own ditches. I got caught up in thieves’ traps many times in my life, and this special sermon woke me up.

From a young age I was taught to follow the directive to be a good neighbor, be kind, lend a helping hand. And it’s an important lesson. But as an adult in my golden years, the equally great lesson – trust in the love and mercy of my ultimate Good Samaritan became clear. He hears my deepest cries even when I cannot speak and reaches into the pit to lift me up when I cannot even move.

Father Thanh from all those years ago at St. Joseph’s parish in Mandarin, Florida, is now Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Orange in California. He is a true shepherd in the footsteps of our Lord as his reach across the years pulled me back to the notes I took during his deeply insightful sermon. As Catholic writers let’s always be ready to capture movements of the Holy Spirit – even during sermons. My poem is the fruit of his words and a receptive heart.

The Good Samaritan

by Paula Veloso Babadi

Waylaid by circumstance,

cast down

to eat dust

on deserted roads,

stripped and stricken

but not annihilated,

others pass by

until your holy hand

and gentle heart

bear me to refuge.

Mercy none else dealt.

Blessed by your benevolence,

healed at your bidding,

I dared not hope –

yet I am whole again.

forever I will seek

to be the Good Samaritan

and

the stranger saved by he

Love Speaks

June 17, 2022/0 Comments/in Catholic Theme, Faith, Love, non-fiction, Prayer/by Kimberly Novak

Kimberly Novak recreates a decisive moment when a single light conveys God’s voice.

When I feel the cool morning breeze and gaze upon the dew-kissed grass glistening in the sun, Love speaks. As my body rests peacefully on an empty chair nestled in the meadow, Love speaks. The chair’s shape cradles me as I prayerfully accept God’s embrace. Turning toward the sun with eyes closed, I listen, and Love speaks. Colors change behind my rested eyes from red to yellow, signifying God’s enduring love and my euphoric happiness. Listening to the songs of birds nearby fills my soul, and Love speaks. As a brilliant pause takes over, I settle in and open my heart to the one who gave me breath, and God speaks.

Nothing declares love more than the Sacred Heart of Jesus—signifying the divine and human love that Jesus has for his Father and us. It also symbolizes Jesus’ ministry and the sacrifice he made. Many artists’ renderings and sculptures show us the genuine love and care Jesus has for all the world. The Sacred Heart speaks with a love that billows from both the divine and the humanity of Jesus.

For the last few days, I have been on a small retreat at a place considered sacred ground. I’ve visited here on many occasions, all of which hold glorious moments of healing and transformation. It was on the first retreat that I arrived with my grandmother’s pocket-sized Sacred Heart of Jesus medallion. The theme for that retreat was love. During my stay, I scripted an enduring letter to God and placed it in the snow at the feet of the Sacred Heart Statue. The gesture of that moment was both pivotal and healing. My life has changed in many ways since then, and I’ve often wondered if God had read my letter.

June is the month of the Sacred Heart, which brings to light the significance of what God allowed me to experience today. A large part of my retreats is allowing time for a prayerful walk. God has taken the time to create such beauty, and I must bask in it. Nestled among over 50 acres are wonders of nature, and the blessedness calls my name. Surrounding a brilliant open meadow, where the deer frolic and play, are trees as tall as the sky, with outstretched branches allowing light to shine through in just the right way. The landscape filled with God’s creations is dotted with benches in grottos and tear-stained places where those on retreat have prayed and wept.

As the sun slowly descended from the sky and the hymn of the songbird was soft, I approached the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I suddenly felt the urge to rest. A sense came over me that I was standing upon the threshold of a divine God-filled moment. Inhaling deeply, I fixed my gaze upwards when I saw a single light shining upon the heart of Jesus. The light encompassed only the left half of the heart and illuminated the flames surrounding that side. I reached my hand to my own heart, exhaling fully in God’s grace. In my heart of hearts, I knew this was God’s response to my letter written so long ago.

As quickly as it appeared, it was gone, like the flicker of a candle as it’s extinguished. My heart, however, was full of light and grateful for the outpouring of love God so graciously bestowed on me. The events of this moment and the immense beauty will forever live in my heart. As the retreat ends, I leave with serenity in my soul. I am certain letters from my heart and prayers kissed to the heavens will always be a form of worship. Life will challenge, tears may fall, and God’s Love will carry it all. When God speaks, Love speaks.