Blessed in the Ordinary

Today was just a beautiful day of ordinary events.

I came to realize that all of the happenings of my life today were extremely ordinary, routine, day-to-day occurrences but the fact that I get to experience them is quite extraordinary. I am so blest! I don't think I can stress that enough.

It started with Mass (in communion with Awesome Saints like St. Andrew!), then prayer and Adoration (silence and time to gaze at The Most Beautiful, Christ Himself), followed by filling up my car with gas and grocery shopping filling my cart half with fall produce of 3 types of squashes and eggplant the other half with cheese and a little turkey and sausage and bread (how fortunate am I to leisurely grocery shop and run errands and not worry about not having food to eat or any means to go to work), next came dropping off the recycling (it's nice to feel like a good citizen of Mother Earth), and then to the post office (mailing packages to make someone smile always feels good), then breakfast (fed when most people in the world go hungry), work (yay for helping students understand Calculus), sending e-mails (the invention of the internet connects us and makes us able to progress so rapidly; it's incredible), quick hello to the roommate who was making dinner for both of us, prayer with Jesus exposed, dinner with the most amazing roommate with no other distractions and then a fun conversation of reliving our junior high and high-school days that made us feel like little girls again, a cookie and a brownie and a glass of milk for her and i respectively and off to bed for her and a little math homework for me and then prayer and bed.

I almost want to cry how simple but Beautiful it truly was. This day didn't have any life-changing moments or super-memorable points for years to come but it also didn't have any struggles, drama, tension, or difficulties. Today was such a gift from God who Loved me in each little moment and event.

Serving Joy

"The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of justice, peace, and the joy that is given by the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this way pleases God and wins the esteem of men. Let us, then, make it our aim to work for peace and to strengthen one another."             -Romans 14:17-19

It has been too long since I have updated and today's reading from Morning Prayer is a great starting point to ponder. Especially on a day when we focus on eating and drinking, we give thanks for these things but, we are deeply grateful for those of justice, peace, and joy.

I, myself, am a fan of joy! I am a fan of all the forementioned virtues, but knowing that the kingdom of God is a matter of joy, a gift of the Holy Spirit, makes my heart burn deeply with gratitude and Love. In this time of joy shared by one another may we aim to serve Christ in whatever way He asks us to serve one another for the Glory of God and our Salvation.

Yep, Life is Beautiful. <3

On my drive back from Tulsa late this morning I was surprised with how much beauty I had missed on the way up there. This always seems to happen after spiritual direction and really in any situation after unloading a heavy burden or even a slight inconvenience. When you let go of your burdens you are able to receive so much more which can include more responsibility sometimes but often includes so many gifts.

So back to my drive. There I was traveling along the 1 or 2 miles of side road that I travel before getting on the highway meanwhile spotting some absolutely breathtaking colors of fall foliage on the trees. When this question came to me.

Why is it that certain trees are purely brightly colored on every leaf while planted right next to a tree that is completely brown and another completely green? Do these cluster of trees not receive the same amount of light, do they not have roots in the same soil, are they not watered in the same way? Then why do they produce different colors?

You see though, we are very much like these trees. Though we experience different events and happenings in our lives we also share quite a bit of similarities. Many of us have similar upbringings (roots) and get educated in similar manners (nourished) and receive the same Love from the Father (the sun/Son). Yet we all show many different colors. Why is it that one or two trees outshine the others in the realm of beautiful colors. It is because they are receptive to the nourishment they are given.

Ahh. Receive. In a similar manner that I opened my eyes to receive the beautiful gift of the picturesque landscape before me, letting go of our burdens, our plans, our independence, depending on the Father and Trusting in the Lord allows us to receive whatever He has for us.

Receive the picture the Lord has for you and become a beautiful color of Love in this world.