Marcy Bennett ... An Angel Departs

My friend Marcy made it to heaven yesterday. I am told that one of her final comments was that "Heaven is looking so good" ... a testament to her faith and her resolve. I absolutely know she has taken up residence and will wait patiently for us, as we make our own way to her and to God.

What a totally neat woman she was, a bundle of energy when I met her, a charmer with twinkling eyes and a great smile ... even in her years of relatively lesser energy, she still kept that twinkle, that spark, that playfulness that all children of God have. She had an indomitable spirit that will live on, above us and within us. She is loved by many and we cry for losing her, much too young. But we smile knowing she is at peace, no longer fighting for breath but inhaling deeply of the heavenly air that fills us all with hope and power.

Remember ... Marcy is there, right there whenever we need to speak to her. She is there for us, just as she was on earth, for so many. She will never be forgotten because her imprint was so strong and so unique. Thank you, Marcy, for every smile you ever shone on me, for every bread pudding we ever shared, for every hug you ever gave me ... you will be in my heart and in our hearts forever.

Praying for Marcy

I pray this night for my friend, Marcy Bennett ... I've written of her before, but I write again as she lays gravely ill with her soulmate at her side. Just today she asked for bread pudding, our favorite dessert to share ... not just any bread pudding but the moist super deluxe version. How I wish I could make it for her tonight and whisk it to her.

I know her destiny, in that she is an angel on earth and has God in her heart ... that has always been clear in her calm, prayerful nature and her care for others. Tonight I pray for her, along with others in our circle ... tonight I think of her, and know she has no need to fear ... tonight I remember and celebrate her, and her life. The world needs more gifts, more lovely souls, more angels ... and Marcy is all three.

Perfection

From 1 Matthew 5:48 … “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

This verse comes from the Gospel that also says “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” Being pure in heart is likely the only way that we can even come close to perfection, not in the secular way which is impossible for us who sin daily. But in the ways that God teaches … having unsullied motives, forgiving our enemies, turning the other cheek, not harboring slights, doing good and praying for those that in some circles would be outcasts and not deserving of prayer.

We will never reach perfection … it is just not possible in this life. But how close are we willing to come … that is the question. Keeping a pure heart is one path to see God, who alone is truly perfect in every way. I pray that we realize that “perfection” is relative and in some real ways, reachable … if we try.

The Blink of an Eye

Saw a quote today in the context of the Daytona 500 … “In the blink of an eye, you’re in the presence of the Lord.”

The quote was from Michael Waltrip, the driver who 10 years ago won the Daytona 500, speaking about what happened that day. The driver who was brought there by his team owner, Dale Earnhardt. The driver who was saddled with the knowledge that on the day he won the race, his greatest supporter lost his life. He has been dealing with that guilt … and not very well, by his own admission … for 10 years. And still he races.

I’m not a serious NASCAR fan but his quote sticks with me … it is so true. And it clearly relates to what we discussed at our Revelation study group this week. In passage after passage of the Bible, we are encouraged … warned, really … to be alert, to stay awake, to be prepared for the coming of the Lord. Tom our study leader noted that the “end days” may come in a day or a year or 100 years … he was talking about the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the world. But he also said that for each of us, it could come as early as tonight.

Are we ready for that “blink of an eye”? Do we realize enough that our own “end day” may come at any moment, when we least expect it? And what are we doing about it?

I pray that in having Jesus in our hearts and in our minds, as a role model for every word we speak and every action we take, we will in fact be prepared. Happiness will come not just from that preparation, but even more from knowing that “blink” is the beginning, not the end. Glory be to the presence of God, always.

For Marcy

Where do I begin? There is so much to say ...

She is a friend, a truly lovely woman with a smile for everyone ... she is a mother, with two wonderful daughters she has raised with her husband, Greg ... she is a great dessert buddy, a lover of sugar like I am ... she is a hard worker, helping us stuff packets and prepare for meetings ... she is a fellow book lover, devouring words just like I do ... she is a loving wife, a high school sweetheart who has been with her soulmate for decades. She is most of all an example of a person who has never met a stranger, who has persevered through more family and personal health challenges than most anyone I know, who has a deep and abiding faith. She is our Marcy.

I pray for her today and every day, because she deserves my devout prayer. I think about her today and every day, because she deserves my best thoughts. I know she is in God's hands always, because she is an angel on earth to so many of us. That is her gift to the world ... beyond all the teaching she has done over the years, it is her loving care and her quiet dignity that makes her an angel among us. She is His gift to us, a precious light that shines in our lives no matter where she is ... she is His spirit for us.

There is a quote I love, a quote that defines Marcy for me: "When angels visit us, we do not hear the rustle of wings, nor feel the feathery touch of the breast of a dove, but we know their presence by the love they create in our hearts." Marcy has indeed created love in many hearts ... that continues to be her lasting gift to us, and we know she helps sustain us. I send prayers to her today, that she may be sustained by her own angels and helpers, every one.

The Greatest Power

A poetic post I saw on Facebook, from Andy Reyes in Cuba …

Love. It is the privilege God has given us. 
Read. It is the source of wisdom. 
Think. It is the basis of innovation. 
Give. It is the way to receive. 
Laugh. It is the music of the soul. 
Work. It is the road to success. 
Save. It is the secret to security. 
Play. It is the path to perpetual youth. 
Pray. It is the greatest power on earth.

There is a lot of power in the world, but so much of it is misplaced and misused. I see that last line and realize where real power is … being an active believer, one who prays. Prayer is what brings us to our soul, to our maker, to our redeemer. Without prayer, we are often lost. Maybe mostly lost.

I like the whole post, not just the last line. It is worth sharing with my kids and yours, because there is raw truth in every line. The more we understand the value of all we do … whether it be love, think, play or pray …  the closer we will get to the core of life. I pray today that I and we keep those truths in mind always.

Heart Day

From 1 Samuel 16:7 … “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Today I wish all lovers of Christ to realize what is in our hearts … it is He who has given us life, it is He who lives within us, it is He who brings us sustaining breath so we can live life to the fullest … just as our own heart does.

Celebrate your heart … and the depth of His love … today, and every day.

Suffering Toward a New Tomorrow

Seen on CNN online, parts of an article by Rob Bell, a pastor … he was crushed, when at age 19, viral meningitis unexpectedly changed his path, from musician to religion. I add little to this narrative, because it is real and inspiring all by itself … I think and pray on this today:

“I assume you're like me - really good at making plans and plotting and scheming and devising just how to make your life go how it's "supposed" to go. We are masters of this. We know exactly how things are supposed to turn out.

And then we suffer. There's a disruption - death, disease, job loss, heartbreak, betrayal or bankruptcy. The tomorrow we were expecting disappears. And we have no other plan.

Suffering is traumatic and awful and we get angry and we shake our fists at the heavens and we vent and rage and weep. But in the process we discover a new tomorrow, one we never would have imagined otherwise.

I have interacted with countless people over the years who, when asked to identify key moments, turning points, and milestones in their lives, usually talk about terribly difficult, painful things. And they usually say something along the lines of "I never would have imagined that would happen to me."

Imagined is a significant word here. Suffering, it turns out, demands profound imagination. A new future has to be conjured up because the old future isn't there anymore.

This truth, about the latent seeds of creativity being planted in the midst of suffering, takes us deep into the heart of the Christian faith. We are invited to trust that in the moments when we are most inclined to despair, when all appears lost and we can't imagine any way forward … that it is precisely in those moments when something new may be about to be birthed.

Jesus hangs naked and bloody on a cross, alone and abandoned by his students, scorned by the crowd, and yet defiant, confident, insistent that God is present in his agony, bringing about a whole new world, right here in the midst of this one.

This is a mystery, and one we are wise to reflect on it, because of the countless disruptions we experience all the time. God is in those moments, grieving with us, shedding tears with us, feeling that pain and turmoil with us, and then inviting to trust that something good can come from even this.

So keep your eyes and your heart open.  Be quick to listen and slow to make rash judgments about how it's "all going to turn out."  Because, like me at the age of 19, you never know when you'll find yourself miles from home, laying in a hospital bed with a bad case of brain squeeze, all of your plans crashing down around you, wondering how it all went wrong, only to discover that a whole new life is just beginning.”

Real Riches

From the website yourdailymotivation.com … “Quality of life begins in your mind. It is not what you have, but what you enjoy that constitutes your abundance. Your real riches are riches in your head and heart. Wealth without true enjoyment is of little consolation. True satisfaction comes from appreciating what you have. Your riches will always lie within you, not in your material possessions.”

We know this.  Yet often we look to "riches" we can buy or acquire, things that we want or even need. We look at the trappings of truly wealthy people and wonder what it feels like to own all of their things. We have our own "things", ad while there's nothing wrong with that, it is our job to keep all of those different things in perspective. 

Who we are is what we really have. As i get older, I realize that there is a measure I can use to judge the true value of any riches I have ... what do I have within me that I can take out to the world and give away? Don't get me wrong ... I like owning my books, my laptop, my flat screen television, my car, my satellite radio. But I know they are not coming with me on my journey. They are just things I enjoy as I live my life, as I travel through the day.

Let us measure our own wealth in ways that have meaning. I have wealth because I own things that matter more ... a forgiving heart, the ability to share words, the chance to listen to concerns and help address them, a love of outreach, a ready smile that almost never fails me. Those are all expressions of wealth ... and you have your own. Be inspired by them, and share every chance you get.

Compressed Morbidity

I had never heard the term, until I saw a post from my friend Marc Middleton ... and I got that it's something we should all strive for. Here's just part of his post ... "Exercise physiologists, gerontologists and other researchers are talking a lot lately about compressed morbidity. Compressed morbidity is the opposite of a lengthy gradual decline, in which disease processes slowly rob you of your mobility, vitality and independence. Simply stated, compressed morbidity is "live long and die fast." It should be a major life goal for everyone. So how does one get it? The only thing that nearly all researchers agree upon is that vigorous exercise is the key ... which brings us to fitness guru Jack LaLanne, who passed away recently at the age of 96."

In Marc's interview, Jack was asked about how long he might live; his reply stuck with me ... "I don't think about it. I only think about this day. This is the moment I've been living for. I don't care how long I live, but I want to live while I'm living. You gotta work at living. Dying is the easiest thing there is ... I'd rather wear out than rust out."

That's our job ... live while we're living. Faith is being able to live happily, knowing that the end will be even happier. But we have miles to go before we sleep. Lots we can build into our legacy. Living life, living large ... that's why God put us on this earth. We may not all "enjoy" compressed morbidity, but it seems like a truly worthwhile effort to do everything we can to get there ... 

Priceless

From a David Smith Devotional I received today … “A high price has been paid for me, so I should live as the valuable person I am. Jesus Christ died to pay my debt and to show me how valuable I am to God. When tempted to sell out to the false values of this world, I need to remember to whom I belong. When the world seeks to crush me, I need to remember to whom I belong. When darkness descends and strong evil surrounds me, I need to remember to whom I belong. When I feel of little worth, I need to remember to whom I belong. I belong to God … and I am priceless.”

Wow. We’ve seen television commercials that use this theme, but this is so much more powerful as a concept. Jesus died for our sins and paid the ultimate price for us, on our behalf. He bought us salvation, an eternal gift. Talk about priceless.

I especially like the last line, because too often we “feel of little worth.” And too often that happens because something that is of little import has gotten to us, turned our mind away from all that we are, truly are. We are children of God and children are miracles … for any parent, we know our children are priceless. Just as we are to God ... priceless.

Patient Eyes

A comment I heard on ESPN Radio made me stop and think … they were talking about what the quarterbacks would need to do in the Super Bowl, and they said they would need to “see the world through patient eyes."

Isn't that what we all need to do? Isn't that a skill that can help us get through life with less stress than we need? Here are two ways to look at that ...

Life is long so take the time to be patient. What is happening right now, this minute, will be gone in a moment, whether that moment takes seconds, hours or days. Patient eyes allows us to take a longer view. After all, there is nothing that compares to the truly long view, the eternal view.

Life is short so take the time to be patient. Know that you are here for a finite period, so take in what you see but don't rush through it. Life will end soon enough ... as is sometimes said, speed kills. Take the time to be patient with those around you when they are there, because that time together is short. Too short.

The Meek

Jesus said "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

We discussed this in our Revelation Bible study group but I have to be honest: I am not really sure how to take that, maybe because it is hard to be meek in today's world. We see that the world values boldness, success, ambition, being "out there" ... the meek are more hidden by the proud and the loud. So I looked at what the word means.

Among its more "positive" meanings are gentle, courteous, kind, humbly patient, long-suffering ... but among its more "negative" meanings are docile, spiritless, tame and submissive. That makes me think that God meant the former ... perhaps "long-suffering" even gives us a clue, as the early followers of Christ were so often persecuted. We may understand meek as a negative because of our society, but in the eyes of Jesus, it was a true virtue to be rewarded. Inheriting the earth is no small thing, after all.

The challenge then is to be meek in a positive way, while still being all that we can be. I don't believe God wants us to be "spiritless" ... he would have us be filled with the Spirit and proud of it. What this says to me is that every word counts, every phrase in the Word has deeper meaning ... we only need to look, and find it.

Catholic Schools Week – Teaching Discipline

President Theodore Roosevelt once said “With self-discipline, most anything is possible.”

One of the most important characteristics of a Catholic school is that it is a safe and disciplined environment, a place where real education can thrive because all there are centered on the same goal: to learn through faith. In fact, Proverbs 12 says “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge” and that is a fact … knowledge requires both focus and discipline.

We live in a society that loves freedom, that revolves around the "me", that too often celebrates undisciplined lives, whether in celebrities, television shows, sports figures. Too many people are entranced by the spectacle of life on the edge. Too many kids drop out of school. Too many adults take on vices that do them no lasting good. The danger can be palpable and infectious, but the dragon of Revelation is there.

Self-discipline is a learned art, one that is taught every day in Catholic schools. Our children are our future, and that future is brightest when it is focused, when children and young adults see that a disciplined life builds more value for the self and for the community. It is the way that God wants us to take, rather than succumb to the worst that life has to offer. He showed that from the beginning, in the Garden of Eden … and he sent his only Son to show us, too.

Proverbs 15 says “Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path” … I pray that my children have seen that self-discipline is the way to a blessed and righteous path.

Catholic Schools Week – Building Leaders

From Isaiah 11:1-11 … “A little child will lead them … the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.”

From Matthew 19:14 … Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. How often have we said those words at Mass? Untold thousands of times. But to become a man, Jesus was first a child, a child that was able to lead from an early age. And He continues to lead us to this day.

Catholic schools are all about helping every child become a leader, centered on faith and belief and moral values that are eternal, timeless. Building leaders is not easy, not at all. That’s why Catholic school teachers have my utmost respect; their job is immense, both educating and mentoring far beyond the usual school subjects and into the realm of the holy.

Think on that today. You too were a child and today you are a leader, modeling after Jesus in all you do. Appreciate the leaders in your life, and Jesus above all. As a child of God, you and I may indeed inherit the kingdom of God in heaven.

Catholic Schools Week – Service to Others

Outreach has always been a hallmark of the Catholic tradition, from the very earliest days of the Disciples. Beyond preaching though, Jesus and his followers showed the importance of service. Loaves and fishes, healing miracles, washing feet … so many examples of service in the Word. It’s no wonder that service is an important element in Catholic education.

At many Catholic universities today, upwards of 90% of students are directly involved in community service, domestically and abroad. Our churches offer so many ways to bring service to life, and Catholic schools are part of that dynamic. They are places where all students are encouraged to take on the role of giver, of servant … just like Jesus.

There is a quote from Muhammad Ali that I love … “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” I pray that we all recognize that it is service to others that can build our greatest legacy. We may not have riches but every minute and hour and day we spend in service is a gift, because when we lift others, we ourselves are lifted. Praise to Jesus Christ, who served us all with his ultimate sacrifice.

Catholic Schools Week - Moral Development

As the author William Bennett says ... "For children to take morality seriously, they must be in the presence of adults who take morality seriously. And with their own eyes they must see adults take morality seriously."

That is the essence of the Catholic School, isn't it? To teach by example, and especially in the moral realm. After all, a child can be educated at any number of schools ... knowledge can be had in many different places, no matter the age of the child - colleges fall into this discussion as well. But to go beyond "book learning" and create valuable citizens for the world, moral citizens committed to doing the right thing ... that takes education to a much higher level.

We've heard that "it takes a village" and I would say the same about Catholic Schools. They are moral villages filled with teachers of all ages, young and old alike, From an innocent child in pre-K so in love with Baby Jesus to the most veteran of teachers, everyone in the building has an opportunity to teach by the example of taking morality seriously. And they do, as I have seen with my own eyes.

I pray that we all realize the opportunity and challenge we have, to show by our everyday example that we value morality above all things. It is what makes us truly human, and what can make us truly divine in His eyes.