Healing our Memories

Forgiving does not mean forgetting. When we forgive a person, the memory of the wound might stay with us for a long time, even throughout our lives. Sometimes we carry the memory in our bodies as a visible sign. But forgiveness changes the way we remember. It converts the curse into a blessing. When we forgive our parents for their divorce, our children for their lack of attention, our friends for their unfaithfulness in crisis, our doctors for their ill advice, we no longer have to experience ourselves as the victims of events we had no control over.

Forgiveness allows us to claim our own power and not let these events destroy us; it enables them to become events that deepen the wisdom of our hearts. Forgiveness indeed heals memories.

Henri Nouwen

Open Hearts

It takes courage and great faith to have an "open" heart. This life gives us much joy, love and light, but it also shows us a fair amount of pain, sadness and suffering. When our hearts are open, we take everything into ourselves and are deeply affected by what we see and do. We don't hold ourselves separate from the pain of others. In addition, our own personal disappointments may begin to take their toll. At times we may feel small, alone and overwhelmed and that we are not up to the task of living with open hearts. We may react by closing down, little by little, so we can get through the day without feeling too much.

To open our hearts to another person's suffering is a revolutionary act. The desire to feel what they feel and help them along the path is not without cost. Jesus gives us the example. When He opened His heart to all...freely and willingly giving of Himself until there was nothing left. May He give us the strength to follow His example.

Are we exclusive?

Courtesy of "Naked Pastor"

Sanctity of Human Life

I'm a day late posting this...

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.

America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.

The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Thinking...

Have you ever noticed that our minds are always active? We analyze, reflect, daydream or dream. There is not a moment during day or night when we aren't thinking. You might say our thinking is "unceasing". Don't know about you but sometimes I wish I could stop thinking for a while; I believe it would save me from many hours of worry, guilt and fear.

The ability to think and reason are our greatest gifts but often time they're also the source of our greatest pain. Do we have to remain victims of our unceasing thoughts? How different would life be if we change them to unceasing prayer? If we were to take our inner dialogue and change it into a continuing dialogue with God...

God dwells in the center of our beings and wants to listen with love to all that occupies and preoccupies our minds. If we but make the effort to turn to Him.

Living with Hope

Optimism and hope are radically different attitudes. Optimism is the expectation that things-the weather, human relationships, the economy, the political situation, and so on-will get better. Hope is the trust that God will fulfill God's promises to us in a way that leads us to true freedom. The optimist speaks about concrete changes in the future. The person of hope lives in the moment with the knowledge and trust that all of life is in good hands.

All the great spiritual leaders in history were people of hope. Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, Rumi, Gandhi, and Dorothy Day all lived with a promise in their hearts that guided them toward the future without the need to know exactly what it would look like. Let's live with hope.

Henri Nouwen

Life apart

I have always marvelled at those who leave the world as we know it and live their life in solitude. Whether it be a monk or nun in a convent or an anchorite living alone. We can all learn from their example of faith.

Take a few minutes and watch...listen to the wisdom!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap7kreDRzgQ&eurl=http://theanchoressonline.com/&feature=player_embedded

I read The Anchoress Online often, she found this first...