With Gratitude for Pope Francis

“I believe the excitement around your visit, Holy Father, must be attributed not only to your role as Pope but to your unique qualities as a person, in your humility, your embrace of simplicity, in the gentleness of your words, in the generosity of your spirit. We see a living example of Jesus’ teachings – a leader whose moral authority comes not just through words but also through deeds.”

(An excerpt: President Obama’s Welcome Address to Pope Francis, September 23, 2015)

Pope Francis’ Mother wanted him to become a doctor, so she bought him medical books. However, when she learned he was reading books on theology instead, he told her he was learning how to heal souls. What a gift this special man is to the world!

While speaking to the Joint Session of Congress, Pope Francis noted the image of Moses on the wall and reminded everyone to keep alive their sense of unity by means of just legislation and of the transcendent dignity of the human being.

Pope Francis then broadened his reach by speaking to the United Nations General Assembly where he expressed: reform and adaptation to the times is always necessary in the pursuit of the ultimate goal of granting all countries, without exception, a share in, and a genuine and equitable influence on, decision-making processes.

Throughout his visit, he repeatedly stressed the importance of acknowledging that we are human beings deserving of respect and dignity - everyone - and as an extension, our planet, without which we cannot survive. He called upon everyone and asked that there be: no apathy, no stagnancy and no numbness. He spoke often of inclusiveness and compassion - not superiority.

With regard to the violence in the world today, he reminded us: We know that in the attempt to be freed of the enemy without, we can be tempted to feed the enemy within. To imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place. He understands human nature – not only the good and the evil that exists but the marginalization and polarization that is present.

I don’t know how he kept up with the pace of his journey. Each day, he went nonstop from morning until evening, speaking, touching souls and acknowledging throngs of people. He lunched with homeless people and comforted prisoners by reminding them: [Jesus] doesn’t ask us where we have been, he doesn’t question us about what we have done…Jesus comes to meet us, so that He can restore our dignity as children of God. He wants to help us to set out again, to resume our journey, to recover our hope, to restore our faith and trust. He wants us to keep walking along the paths of life, to realize we have a mission, and that confinement is not the same thing as exclusion.

Finally, he asked that we move forward with dignity together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.

Thank you, Pope Francis, for your energy and your inspiration!

I ask God’s blessings upon you and pray you come back soon!

With Gratitude for Words of Inspiration

For many years I collected inspirational phrases and kept a cork board of them in my office. When people needed a boost, they stopped by to search for words to inspire them. It was amazing how inspiring words changed their outlook. I am so grateful to all those who have inspired me with their words all my life. Here are some of my favorites:

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.

Kindness in giving creates love. Lao Tzu

I am determined to speak truthfully with words that inspire self-confidence, joy and hope.

Thich Nhat Hanh

He who finds his life will lose it and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Jesus

Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self. May Sarton

Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. Native American Wisdom

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched –

they must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller

Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God. Leo Buscaglia

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. Socrates

More often than not, the things we detest and judge in others are a reflection of the things we cannot accept about ourselves. Iyanla Vanzant

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness you are able to give. Eleanor Roosevelt

He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The work of the eyes is done. Go now and do the heart-work on the

images imprisoned within you. Rainer Maria Rilke

If you get, give. If you learn, teach. Maya Angelou

If you are really paying attention and really ready to heal, the day will come when you recognize that forgiveness is the only way back to the center of your innocence.

Iyanla Vanzant

The soul is here for its own joy. Rumi

I think this is how we are supposed to be in the world – present and in awe. Anne Lamott

Wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure. Paulo Coelho

Sometimes I need to stand only where I am to be blessed. Mary Oliver

Nature is a haunted house but Art is a house that tries to be haunted. Emily Dickinson

What you tolerate, you cannot change. Joel Osteen

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long

to play with your hair. Kahlil Gibran

Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.

Albert Einstein

How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours. Wayne Dyer

Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath. Eckhart Tolle

When we observe things calmly, we notice that all things have their fulfillment. Basho

The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own. Benjamin Disraeli

You cannot do a kindness too soon; you never know how soon it will be too late.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your task is not to seek for love but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. Rumi

And what does the Lord require from you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

The best use of imagination is creativity; the worst use of imagination is anxiety.

Deepak Chopra

The Grace of Inspiration

Did you know, the word inspiration dates back to the 13^th Century and initially meant “immediate influence of God.” In Latin it means to be “in spirit.” I love being inspired!

Having worked in human resources and public service roles, I have been inspired by many people. One story has remained with me ever since I heard a young man speak at Arizona State University. Our Human Resources team attended a dinner where corporations could meet newly graduated engineers. A young man gave a speech that evening that left everyone in awe. He was raised by his Mother in Cabrini-Green in Chicago. His Mother promised him she was going to get him out of that environment. She did and that evening, we got to meet him and his Mom (who was about to finish her degree, also). After his speech, there was not a dry eye in the room. I’ve often wondered where he’s at today.

I can also think of a woman I worked with in behavioral health who was debilitated by depression. Her role in society was to prepare people for natural disasters; she set up role plays for numerous employees from the state/local governments. She had done this so intimately that after they played out their roles, she suffered from what would most likely today be deemed post-traumatic stress disorder. I was inspired by her courage as she took steps to climb up and out of the rubble of this non-reality nightmare. I also admired the tremendous effort she made on behalf of our community.

When I worked with students who were blind or visually impaired, I was inspired by their immense courage – learning to get from a dorm room to a class was a huge feat. One day, I came across a student who had lost her way. As she felt the ground with her cane, it didn’t appear that she realized she was standing at the precipice of about 20 steps leading downward to the campus Library. With her back to the steps, I knew I needed to get to her quickly so she wouldn’t take a step backward but was hesitant to yell to her for fear she’d step backward toward my voice. I was grateful to reach her in time. The courage, stamina and will it must have taken for these students to meet each day totally inspired me.

While working with high school special needs students, I was inspired by one of our students who had a learning disability. He played the cymbals in the band and always marched next to a drummer who cued him when to clap his cymbals! During high school, he got a job at our local theater greeting people and taking tickets. No matter who he met, you would think he had known them for life. One day, I chaperoned him to a skiing outing with his physical education class. As we waited to get on the ski lift, he began to chat with a man ahead of us. He held such a beautiful conversation, I figured he knew him, so I asked him. He said “No, I just wanted to wish him a good day on the slopes!”

I have a cousin, Lisa Marie, who has always inspired me, too. She also has a learning disability; however, she has always found work and is always very excited to meet new people. She greets her neighbors and knows every bus driver and mail carrier. She enjoys being a “social butterfly” and most every Friday attends a group session where she and her friends enjoy a meal or dance or do creative projects. She continues to keep a very busy schedule and exudes love and care wherever she goes!

These beautiful souls of inspiration light our world each day with bravery, courage, love and amazement. I liken them to butterflies in our society – they gently and quietly spread their love and beauty throughout our world each day to provide joy wherever they light.

When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy. (Rumi)

Looking out my kitchen window!

The Grace of Character

In my last post, I spoke of my Dad, who was steeped in integrity. I believe I was in my mid-30s when I realized how much it must have taken him to uphold his integrity, his character. It made me admire and respect him even more. It can be very easy to take the slippery slope down the wrong path. I was very fortunate to have my Dad as my guidepost.

Recently, I heard David Brooks speak about his new book The Road to Character (2015). He talked about how society puts a lot of emphasis on what he calls our resume characteristics, as opposed to cultivating the characteristics of our soul. He admits he’s always been focused on his resume characteristics but now wants to work on his soul’s characteristics. I decided to pick up his book and learned that he researched numerous people who started out in life on the wrong foot but decided to redirect their path – these life vignettes run through his book and make for an inspirational read.

Brooks informed the reader that you can Google word usage over decades to determine the overall change in our language. For example, one word that has risen sharply is “self,” which is not surprising and very telling. Words related to economics and business have also risen; however, words such as “community,” “share,” “united” and “common good” have shown a sharp decline. Also on the decline is language related to morality, character building, character conscience and virtue. Here are some interesting word statistics which have all declined over the 20^th century: Bravery –66 percent, Gratitude –49 percent, Humbleness –52 percent and Kindness –56 percent.

Brooks feels we are “morally inarticulate.” I’m not sure exactly what this says but I found it to be sad. I know we typically build character when we’ve had a more difficult life, when we’ve had to humble ourselves to regroup and take a new approach. I strongly believe that we are here on this earth to “grow” our soul, which builds our love and compassion. Everyone experiences good and bad times and we’re fortunate as a humanity that we’re not all in bad times at the same time and that those not in bad times are capable of compassion to help us through the difficult days.

Brooks shared a quote he received from Dave Jolly, a Veterinarian, as a comment from a previous article he had written:

“Good, wise hearts are obtained through lifetimes of diligent effort to dig deeply within and heal lifetimes of scars. What a wise person teaches is the smallest part of what they give. The totality of their life, of the way they go about it in the smallest details, is what gets transmitted.”

The human body and mind is miraculous; for many years, I watched scientists and engineers attempt to duplicate it. We may differentiate each other by our names and faces but our character is fully ours alone and we get to determine that. If for no other reason, out of respect for the brilliancy of our human body and mind, let us cultivate our character to become the best we can be.

There are a few small quotes I’d like to share that I felt are worth repeating from Brooks’ material:

Don’t let the “deepest parts of yourself go unexplored and unstructured;” Don’t “step into a self-satisfied moral mediocrity;” Be careful not to “grade yourself on a forgiving curve;” Don’t let a “humiliating gap open up between your actual and desired self;” “Shoot for something higher than happiness;” “Become acutely aware of your own weaknesses;” Remember, we have to “go down to go up – from the valley of humility to the heights of character.”

With Gratitude for my Dad

“My Father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”

– Jim Valvano

With Father’s Day approaching, I’d like to take a moment to honor my Dad. What a man he was – filled with vim and vigor and energy and a big smile! A positive man with a vibrant outlook, who was always willing to lend a hand. He was a man of strength and courage; yet, he was gentle, kind and thoughtful.

My Dad was very dependable – if he told me he was going to pick me up at a certain time, he was there. He always kept his word. Often, when we’d walk home from school, if he was out in his delivery truck, he would come up Raynor Avenue looking for us. He was as excited as I was when we locked eyes on each other. Being before the days of seat belts and even a second seat in his truck – I sat on a milk carton! I was as happy as could be! Later, when he worked at our grade school, I was in 8^th Grade – sometimes he’d walk past our classroom – he knew exactly where I sat and gave me one of his signature winks! Heartwarming gestures that came from his soul were a constant with him.

When I was about 10 years old, my Dad told me - when he dies, if there are nuns and priests around his bedside, he will know he had lived a good life. I had no idea he would die six years later. When he took his last breath, there were nuns and priests surrounding his bed. He always held the Church, priests and nuns in the highest esteem. He taught us to always help someone in need before they ever asked and he taught us to respect all people. “Don’t let me ever hear my children have been disrespectful to anyone.” One day, he said: “There is only one group of people you treat differently,” which really surprised me. He said: “The elderly – with them, you give them even more respect.” Somehow, even though he was constantly teaching, I never felt he was preaching – he was a gentle teacher who knew exactly when and how to impart his message. A humble man, he never sought any kind of accolades.

Even though my Dad was very busy with his grocery store or later with his work at the church/school, he found time for everyone. I never felt left behind because of all the people’s lives he touched. When he was with you, he was present. On the weekend, we would all work on the yard; each of us had our chores to do. My job was to trim the edges of the grass along the sidewalk – no weed whackers in those days! When we were done, we all sat on the front porch and admired our labor. He would get us a treat and we’d sit there as a family and enjoy each other’s company. Every Sunday (the only day his grocery store was closed), he’d go over to the store in late afternoon to make sure the coolers/freezers were running properly. Each Sunday, he brought us a treat from the store – we never knew what it was going to be – maybe a jar of shrimp cocktail or a box of nonpareils (round, flat chocolates covered with white sprinkles). Life was simple with sweet gestures and it was all very good.

My Dad told me I couldn’t date until I was 16 – when my first date came to pick me up for the Junior Prom, I saw a tear fall down my Dad’s cheek. As a teenager, it’s exciting to attend the prom; however, today, I’d give it up to keep those tears from flowing. As I became an adult, I realized my Dad must have been filled with unbelievable wisdom beyond his years. He taught by his actions and his words were brief; yet, what he imparted was lasting. Every child deserves to have a Dad like this – one who believes in you and who provides guidance, discipline and unconditional love. Thank you, Dad, for being a man steeped in integrity and filled with love. Happy Father’s Day – with all my love.

National Day of Prayer - May 7, 2015

The theme for this year’s National Day of Prayer is: Lord, Hear Our Cry. The scripture passage that aligns with this year’s theme is: “Hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying in Your presence this day.” (1 Kings 8:28)

The following is this year’s prayer, written by Dr. Jack Graham, a pastor and the Honorary Chairman for the National Day of Prayer. This prayer will be said simultaneously throughout our Nation at noon (EDT) on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

Heavenly Father,

We come to You in the Name that is above every name – Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our hearts cry out to You.

Knowing that You are a prayer-answering, faithful God – the One we trust in times like these – we ask that you renew our spirits, revive our churches, and heal our land.

We repent of our sins and ask for your Grace and Power to save us. Hear our cry, oh God, and pour out Your Spirit upon us that we may walk in obedience to Your Word.

We are desperate for your tender mercies. We are broken and humbled before You.

Forgive us, and in the power of Your great love, lift us up to live in Your righteousness.

We pray for our beloved nation. May we repent and return to You and be a light to the nations. And we pray for our leaders and ask that You give them wisdom and faith to follow You.

Preserve and protect us, for You are our refuge and only hope.

Deliver us from all fears except to fear You, and may we courageously stand in the Truth that sets us free.

We pray with expectant faith and grateful hearts.

In Jesus’ Name, our Savior.

Amen

http://nationaldayofprayer.org/national-prayer/

The Grace of Divine Presence

The other day, while in a little shop, I heard the song Brave by Sara Bareilles – I felt her words enter my heart deeply – I knew it was a message from Spirit. Sara’s words urge the listener to be brave – honestly. I felt her words telling me to be brave – honestly. I felt that enter my heart deeply, too.

With Holy Week upon us, I thought about how brave Jesus was, how He stayed on track and didn't waver. He taught love, kindness, compassion and forgiveness. He stood up to the naysayers, the enemy. Through His willingness and strength He remained open and tolerant. In her song, Sara talks about humanity, how we've all “fallen for the fear” at times. Think of the people who are being oppressed by the enemy today purely because of their beliefs – think of their fear. That takes real bravery - honestly.

In 2 Peter 1:-3-4, Simon Peter stated: “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…through these [promises] you may be partakers of the divine nature….” We can partake? We can be a part of divine nature? We can be more like Jesus? It’s time to be brave - honestly!

Sometimes it’s hard to know where God is, where Jesus is, where our real strength is. I've put together an open poem about where to find Divine Presence. Know that Divine Presence is positively everywhere and it’s time we partake bravely and honestly! Tell me where you find Divine Presence!

Where to find Divine Presence

The pause between each breath

The moment between each keystroke

The touch of clean sheets

A hot bath

The space between each word

The trumpets in the Hallelujah Chorus

Vibrantly colored leaves

Rocks

The smell of pine

New buds sprouting

Shades of green-blue lichen

Pink wild roses

Snowflakes on pinecones

Frost on glass

Crisp, cold air

Squirrels playing

Deer pausing

A gentle breeze

Chills

Music

Art

Speeches

Writings

Laughter

Crying

Words

Warmth

Thoughts

Prayers

Human Contact

Spiritual Connection

Christmas Carolers

Smiles

Salvation Army Bell Ringers

Special Olympians

A Homeless Person

The Ave Maria

The Lord’s Prayer

The Prayer

O Holy Night

The National Anthem

A prayer for one’s betterment

Freedom

Empowerment

Education

Wisdom

Tolerance

Inspiration

Feet

Clean

Grounded

Bare

Clean Socks

Old slippers

In sand

Hands

Working

Molding

Creating

Touching

Clapping

Waving

Welcoming

Eyes

Seeing

Sparkling

Crying

Accepting

Sleeping

Listening

Really Listening

An empty church

The forest

A tiny bird

Sunshine

Soft rain

Thunder

Falling snow

Candles Burning

Understanding

Accepting

Tolerating

Forgiving

Honesty

Integrity

Wonderment

Excitement

Elation

Accomplishment

Birth

Death

Emotions

Happiness

Sadness

Grief

Anger

Fear

Sorrow

Love

Joy

Giggling

Smells

Lavender

Lemons

Crisp Apples

Carmel

Chocolate

Oranges

A baby’s skin

Everywhere

Everyplace

Everything

All Day

All Night

In you

In me

Our Soul

!

With Gratitude for Divine Presence

May Your Easter be Blessed and “Brave – Honestly” Beautiful!