Listen and Respond

     “Even though we know that God’s will and commandments apply to everyone, we do not always have the strength to fulfill them. Now, every time we respond faithfully to a motion of the Spirit, out of desire to be docile to what God expects of us, even if it’s something almost insignificant in itself, that may make us capable of one day practicing the commandments that up until then we had not been capable of fulfilling entirely.”                        Fr. Jacques Phillipe


     There is a very good chance that since you are reading this blog, you are striving to grow in your relationship with God. You are trying to grow in grace, holiness and virtue. You are looking deep within yourself, to discover your weaknesses and imperfections. You long so much to change, to please God in all that you do.

The Ingenuity of God

     My husband and I stared in disbelief as we surveyed the extensive damage the termites had done to our home! Just a few hours ago everything looked perfect.

     We were in the midst of a renovation, which included replacing our front door. Before the door could be installed, we had to remove the wallpaper from the walls. “What in the world is that?,” we asked in unison. There were vertical tracks on the drywall. Our contractor was somewhat suspicious and suggested we remove the drywall to examine the wood beneath. Much to our horror, the wood had been ravaged by termites, which meant not only replacing the two by fours, but the header and footer as well! My husband and I stood shaking our heads as we gazed upon the ruins. What began with excitement dissolved into disaster!

The New and the Old

     The holidays were behind us and I was once again, feeling somewhat disappointed. Things were different then they used to be, and I wasn't quite sure how to handle the changes.

     My husband and I had done our best over the years, to make birthdays and holidays special for our children. We wanted to give them memories to cherish and traditions to hold dear. Our celebrations and traditions grew and changed as our family grew and our children got older. We learned to adapt, holding on to what still worked, letting go of what we’d outgrown. We added some new traditions for our now adult children.