Never Get Discouraged

Remember, happiness is a choice.  Resistance almost always stands between me and happiness.  I have to break through it to experience the happiness I yearn for and the happiness God wants for me.

Every moment is a chance to start anew, a chance to turn it all around.

When am I slaying resistance?  When is it slaying me?

Holy Saturday

Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.

God created us for lasting happiness in a changing world and eternal happiness with him in heaven.  The happiness he wants for us in this life is a rare kind of happiness that is not dependent on situations or circumstances.

Over these four days, the disciples experience incredible shifts and swings and emotion; incredible experiences.  And by placing myself there, I experience it differently that just reading it on the page.

Focus:

What will tomorrow bring for me?

Act:

Reflect on my Best Lent Ever Journey and think about the habits presented in this program.  They are life-changing, tried and true methods that can help me master resistance.  In order to stay focused after lint, choose one way that my life is going to be different.

Pray:

Jesus, help me celebrate your resurrection with joy this Easter and help me carry that joy with me always.  Let it inspire me to choose the happiness you created me for, and to never stop striving to be all that you created me to be.

Amen.

Good Friday

So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hewbrew is called Golgotha.  There they crucified him.

Make no mistake, resistance is my enemy.  It will not quietly go away and leave me alone.  I have to slay it like a dragon, and I have to slay it anew each day.

What does it feel like to be disoriented?

How does Jesus on the cross inspire me to overcome resistance in my life?

Focus:

If Jesus had not beaten resistance, there would be no Easter.

Act:

Spend some time in quiet reflection today.  If I can, schedule some time during the three o’clock hour, when Jesus died on the cross.  As I read today’s Gospel and reflect on Jesus’ passion and death, consider how he can inspire you to battle resistance in my own life.

Pray:

Jesus, may your victory on the cross fill me with the courage to persevere in times of difficulty, and the hope to see beyond the cross to the joy of the Resurrection.

Amen.

Holy Thursday

Jesus got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.  He came to Simon Peter and Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” (John 13:3-8)

God is constantly inviting us to immerse ourselves in the present moment so we can be with him.

What would it feel like to have Jesus wash my feet?

Focus:

God wants good things for us, but, like Peter, we often resist him.

Act:

As I read today’s Gospel, reflect on my life and ask two questions.  First, how is God trying to love me?  Second, how have I resisted God’s love in my life?

Pray:

God, help me to receive everything that you are pouring into me and learn to simply be with you.

Amen.

Day Thirty Seven - World Changing Days

The Triduum is an incredible opportunity.  Don’t let resistance win.  Persevere, and experience these days in a way that you never have before.

Through the brokenness of the world, the imperfection of other people and situations, and even our own limited humanity, God wished to speak to us.

The world has been waiting patiently for the Messiah.  And then, here is Jesus.

As we go into the Triduum, it’s good to approach it with something in mind.  Who am I going to be in the next four days?  By placing myself there, I will experience it differently than just reading it on the page.

The next four days will be life-changing events that happened two thousand years ago.  It’s an incredible opportunity.  I am in a place this year to experience the Triduum like I never have before.

Focus:

God wants to speak to me throughout the Triduum.  Am I ready to listen?

Act:

Reflect on the invitation to pick a word to define my Triduum experience.  Choosing a work will bring focus and intentionality to the next three days.

Pray:

Jesus, open my ears and my heart to you as I reflect on your passion, death and resurrection.

Amen.

Day Thirty Six - Blessed and Gratified

Without gratitude, what was extraordinary yesterday becomes ordinary today.  Without gratitude, a sense of entitlement take over and begins to rot our soul.  Without gratitude, we get old and grumpy, or even young and grumpy.  Gratitude keeps us young.  It anchors us to the present moment.  It reminds us of what matters most and what matters least, and fills us with the resolve to carry on the great mission God has entrusted to us.

Everything is a gift, and when we step back and truly consider it with any measure of honesty, it is all incredibly humbling.

When I get down, gratitude can change my internal space.  It helps me step back and gain perspective.  It helps me get back on track.

What am I grateful for today?

Focus:

Gratitude anchors us to the present moment, reminding us of what matters most and what matters least.

Act:

Count your blessings.  Make a list of 10 people, experiences, things or blessings that I am grateful for.

Pray:

Loving Father, thank you.  Thank you for blessing me in so many incredible ways.

Amen.

Day Thirty Five - Don't Let the Critics Win

It is so easy to let the critic distract me form what God is calling me to do in the present moment.  It is amazing how easily we can allow the critic to rob us of our passion and energy.  The critics will always be there, but it is not the critic that counts.

Critics are a difficult part of life, but it can’t be ignored.  I can receive tons of positive feedback, but one negative comment can weigh on me for a long, long time.  I have to be more careful about the voice of criticism in my life.  It can be a voice of distraction and discouragement.  I’ve got critics but I cannot let them run rampant in my life.  I need God’s help to teach me to detach from the critics and not allow discouragement.  If the criticism is going to help me become a better version of myself, great!  If it can’t, it’s incidental and I need to let it go.  It cannot become a distraction to my mission from God.

Everyone has critics.  They stop us from acting.  They distract us.  It’s resistance.

God wants me to break through that discouragement and go out and do something!

How have I overcome critics in my life?  Getting beyond my own inner critic is what I struggle with most.

Focus:

The critics will always be there, but I need to be careful not to allow their voices too much space in my heart.

Act:

Reflect on a time when I allowed critics to have too much influence in my life, and how would I do it differently next time.

Pray:

Jesus, help me persevere when I encounter critics.  In those moments, help me to simply do the tiniest thing to move forward.  I know you will do the rest.

Amen.

Day Thirty Four - When God Looks at a Resume

God only asks one thing of us.  He can take care of the rest.  The only thing God needs from me is availability.  If I make myself available to God, incredible things will happen.

How available am I to God at this time in my life?

Throughout history, God has never picked the people we’d expect him to pick.  God just wants us to make ourselves available to him; surrender to Him.  What is stopping me from making myself 100% available to God?  Is it really worth it?

Sometimes I push God out of the way because I think I can manage my affairs better than God can.  The only way I can get real security is to give God the reigns.

Focus:

Make myself 100% available to God and incredible this will happen.

Act:

Pray this prayer of transformation every day for nine days.

Pray:

Loving Father,

I come to you today to make myself 100% available to you.  

I lay everything I have and everything I am at your feet.  

Take what you want to take and give what you want to give.  

Command me in all things.  

I will do whatever you ask me to do.  

Transform me and transform my life, so that I may become the best version on myself and lead others to you with my life and my love. 

Amen.

Day Thirty Three - Made for Mission

“Place your talents and enthusiasm at the service of life.”  We were made for a mission.  We were created to serve powerfully.  We will never have lasting happiness until we realize this and act on it.

What are my talents?  What am I really good at?  How is God calling me to make the world and the Church better through these talents?

God is a God of purpose.  We were created for a purpose.  Figuring out this purpose is really important to finding joy.

How can I serve other people today even in a small way?  The more we serve other people, the more our mission becomes clear to us.  When I get caught up in myself, things go sideways. 

The more I serve other people, the clearer my mission will become.

What mission is God calling me to right now in my life?

Focus:

I cannot be happy focused on myself.  I was made for a mission.  It’s deep within me.  Only by serving others in a meaningful way do I truly discover the happiness I yearn for so unrelentingly.

Act:

What mission do I think God is calling me to now in my life?  Don’t get caught up in what he might have been calling me to in the past, or what he might call me to in the future.  Write down his invitation to me today as best as I can discern it.

Pray:

God, I want to serve you powerfully.  Which talent do you want me to focus on at this time in my life?

Amen.

Day Thirty Two - Let Your Light Shine

In Matthew 5:15, Jesus says, “Nobody lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel. They put it on a stand, so that it can give light to everyone in the house.” What stops me from letting my light shine?

God wants to fill me with his grace and courage so that I can go out into the world and let my light shine.

When is my light bright and strong?  When is my light dim and weak?  What effects that?

I have the perfect set of talents that I need to fulfill the mission God has called me to.  That should be where my focus is.  Not on what talents I don’t have, but on the ones I have.  It is those talents that will help me fulfill God’s purpose for me.  What are my unique set of talents?  How do I let those talents shine.

What talent does God want me to focus on at this point in my life?

What is holding me back?

Focus:

I have the perfect personality and talents to fulfill the mission God is entrusting to me.

Act:

Which of these traits most prevents me from letting my light shine?

Fear

Laziness

Procrastination

Selfishness

Addiction

Obsession

Comparing myself to others

Allowing my critics to drain my energy and direct my life

Unwillingness to move beyond my comfort zone

Self-doubt

Gossip

Negative relationships

Excuses

Pray:

Jesus, I want to live my life with joy.  Give me the courage to let my light shine, do good works, and give you glory.

Amen.

Day Thirty One - A Weekend Away

We all need people to do life with, friends to accompany us on the pilgrimage of life.  What makes a great friend?  Our best friends are those people who encourage and challenge us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves.

“I was comfortable and satisfied, and looking back that should have set off alarm bells, but we all have blind spots.  If it weren’t for my friends, I would probably be out there doing the same old thing.  That would be a tragedy.  Thank God for interventions.  Thank God for friends who care enough to intervene.”

When I think about the friends of my life, some helped me become a better version of myself.  And some of them did not. 

I need encouragement and to feel like I belong.  I need a pat on the back from time to time and to hear, “Good Job.”  In this journey, I need other people.

Just this past weekend, I realized how much I do need to connect with other adults.  I saw how easy it was to go down this rabbit hole by isolating myself from others.  After a few hours with my sister and brother in law, I gained new perspective on my life and where I am going.  And hopefully I was able to provide new perspective for them.

Friendship is a beautiful thing, but also an enormous responsibility.  Our friendships are either helping or hindering people from becoming the-best-version-of-themselves.  Today is a good day to look around my circle of friends and do an examination.  Who is helping me become a better version on myself?  How am I helping these people become the best version of themselves?

Focus:

Our best friends encourage and challenge us to become the best version of ourselves.  They don’t let us waste our lives, and they push us to serve powerfully.

Act:

Who in my circle is God calling me to encourage or challenge to become a better version of themselves?

Pray:

Jesus, help me to strive for meaningful friendships that bring me to you.

Amen.

Day Thirty - The First Intervention

It is the ordinary daily spiritual practices that matter most.  These day to day encounters with God are a hundred times more important than the extraordinary grace-filled experiences that God gives us sometimes.

Have I ever really had a plan for spiritual health and growth?

Am I spiritually fit?  Am I spiritually healthy?

I need a plan.  Some might be daily components and some might be annual components and some might just be things I need to do once.  But I need a plan.

I need to incorporate daily prayer and spiritual readings.  But most of all, I need to write down this plan and then work this plan.

Great things will start to happen as soon as put that plan together.

What is one thing I could do to grow spiritually?  I should look at my life every day like a coach looks at his team.  Analyze what I am good at and what I could be better at.  And then, I need to align myself with God’s plan.

Focus:

What’s my plan?  Have I ever really had a plan for spiritual health and growth?

Act:

How am I going to grow spiritually over the next 12 months?  Write down my plan.

Pray:

Jesus, I want to live the full life you have for me.  Help me dedicate myself to spiritual growth.

Amen.

Day Twenty Nine - Are You a Pilgrim or a Tourist?

We are just passing through.  It is helpful to remind ourselves of that from time to time.

We are always hungry for something more complete, and God is that completeness that we yearn for from the depths of our souls.

A pilgrim is always looking for the signs from God; for his guidance.  The key to being a pilgrim is patience.  What is God trying to teach me through these delays?  With eyes wide open, I should be looking for the signs.  We are called to live our lives like pilgrims.  We are just passing through.  We are on this journey to be with God in eternity.  Am I preparing myself to live in heaven?  What do I need to do to get prepared?  This world is not home. I must live in a way that leads to home to God.

What does it mean to be a pilgrim?  Life is truly an incredible gift.  It’s worrying less about Earthly things and more on touching people’s hearts and minds.  Life is just a short journey on Earth, but an eternity in Heaven.

Focus:

We are just passing through this place we call Earth.  We are pilgrims.

Act:

Spend some time today thinking about heaven.

Pray:

A PILGRIM’S PRAYER
by Thomas Merton
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following Your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust You always though I may seem lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for You are ever with me,
and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Amen.We are just passing through.  It is helpful to remind ourselves of that from time to time.

We are always hungry for something more complete, and God is that completeness that we yearn for from the depths of our souls.

A pilgrim is always looking for the signs from God; for his guidance.  The key to being a pilgrim is patience.  What is God trying to teach me through these delays?  With eyes wide open, I should be looking for the signs.  We are called to live our lives like pilgrims.  We are just passing through.  We are on this journey to be with God in eternity.  Am I preparing myself to live in heaven?  What do I need to do to get prepared?  This world is not home. I must live in a way that leads to home to God.

What does it mean to be a pilgrim?  Life is truly an incredible gift.  It’s worrying less about Earthly things and more on touching people’s hearts and minds.  Life is just a short journey on Earth, but an eternity in Heaven.

Focus:

We are just passing through this place we call Earth.  We are pilgrims.

Act:

Spend some time today thinking about heaven.

Pray:

A PILGRIM’S PRAYER
by Thomas Merton
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following Your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust You always though I may seem lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for You are ever with me,
and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Amen.

Day Twenty Eight - The Light is On

Confession: We all have a great need for healing.  But we resist it.  We resist God.  We resist his forgiveness.  We resist happiness.

Be gentle with myself.  Be gentle with others, and never stop striving to be all that God created me to be:  the very-best-version-of-myself.

Sin is a sad thing.  It’s heavy and it makes us sad.  We carry it around with us.  Confession gives us a place to drop all of that stuff off.  To feel light, free, a fresh start.

A fresh start is a great thing.  There’s something powerful about going to confession and coming clean before God.  It allows us the opportunity to try again.

Now is a great time to go to confession.  Come before God and request a fresh start.

How have I found healing in confession?  God continues to love me even when I mess up.  I may not deserve forgiveness, but Jesus forgives me anyway.

Focus:

We all have a great need for forgiveness and healing.

Act:

No matter how long it has been, go to Reconciliation this week.

Pray:

Jesus, help me break through resistance and go to confession.  Help me to be gentle yet honest, and help me to accept the healing you want to give me.

Amen.