There’s nothing better than sitting in the shade of a tree on a hot summer day, sipping on a cold beverage while contemplating God’s beautiful creation. We often take these enormous, leafy landscape-enhancers for granted – until these are gone.
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This story was shared with me by a priest a few years back and is a great reminder for all of us to ask ourselves if we are paying it forward, wet pants and all.
I just came to the realization that yesterday was February 2nd. Fortunately, I did not find myself living Groundhog Day all over again – as is the premise of the 1993 romantic comedy, Groundhog Day.
As the saying goes, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.”
I believe that there are two types of people in this world: those who like surprises and those who don’t. I, for one, do not like surprises. And I think the reason why is that the surprise usually doesn’t end well for me. Let me give you a perfect example.
It was a cold, crisp December morning as I ventured down the stairs to follow my weekly routine of watching Saturday morning cartoons. A commercial came on the air, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen…it was the Big Jim Sports Camper. It was the coolest toy ever! It included a boat, camping gear, and a bunch of manly accessories that a boy could only dream about. I swear that I heard angels singing when it came on the TV; and at the moment I knew, that is what I wanted most for Christmas. Read More
This is a story about an elementary teacher and one of her students. The teachers name was Mrs. Thompson. As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy name Teddy Stoddard.
As the weather begins to change from the warmth of Summer to the crispness of Autumn, I began reminiscing about summers long past, back when our children were younger. Those were enjoyable times that were filled with carefree days and never-ending summer fun (at least for the kids). Read More
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you.
All things pass away, God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
I found these words in a Catholic magazine that I was reading while on retreat. I have seen these words before, but at this particular moment in time, something was different.
Too often in my life, I have let those petty little things “get to me.” So much so, that it manifests within me and changes my physical being. For example, I often won’t be able to sleep at night or I experience severe internal stomach issues. Many times, as much as I hate to admit it, my moods seem to frequently shift throughout the day. Thankfully, I’m not experiencing any of these symptoms while on my retreat, but the above words immediately took me back to all of those times when I have lived these symptoms. And now, as I reflect on these words, I realize the absurdity of my actions and behavior.
Why do I allow these things that are out of my control to ultimately take control of me? Why should I get disturbed over situations that arise that, when you really think about it, just come and go? And the patience thing? Oh my, this is a huge one for me. Every morning I pray for patience to get me through the day. (When they were passing out patience at the beginning of my life, I must not have been paying attention – or I was distracted by a shiny, fancy guitar.) But for whatever reason, these words really touched my heart today.
With all the things that are happening in our lives such as work, home, family, etc. and the various tasks and responsibilities hitting us from all angles, isn’t it comforting to know that God never changes? It is an incredible feeling to be reassured that when we have God in our lives and have a personal, active relationship with him, that we have all that we need. We lack nothing because God alone suffices. If we change our mindset to think this way, we will be filled with an amazing sense of peace which nothing else in this world can provide.
Read these words at the start of each day and you will realize that God is right there with us giving us all that we need – and that’s all that really matters!
There was one thing that my family took very seriously when I was growing up, and that was Family Night. This usually involved playing a game or watching a movie, like those on Family Classics, The Wonderful World of Disney, or network TV. One of our all-time favorites and one that we would never-ever miss was The Wizard of Oz.
© 2024 Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker. All rights reserved.
