"Casting the first stone" ( One of my first ever blog posts revisited !)

Matthew 7

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Single teenage mothers, the homeless, unruly kids, rebellious adolescents, the long term unemployed in receipt of benefits, asylum seekers, the overweight.... opinion lingers even if only in the heart at times. So often it is those who need faith most who often reject it because they feel themselves rejected by the faithful.

Why the exclusivity when Jesus loved inclusively? Many of the people (celebrities included) who end up on the front covers of daily rags and who wait for ridicule upon the sofas of TV talk and reality shows are, in truth, the most vulnerable members of society, The lost, the lonely the fearful, the desperate and the disturbed .

They are least esteemed by the world, yet most in need of acceptance and support from the world. We hear of the "failures" "losers" and "good for nothings" People, who like it or not are made in the image and likeness of God himself often with stories to tell of pain, suffering, guilt, frustration... Can I simply stop and listen, engage.... love. Instead of Judge. Beneath the the stony grit of life there grows such faint, fragile hope. Not all seeds are sown on lush ground. There are battles that go unseen, unnoticed, battles that are hidden in the soft soil of a breaking heart, a troubled mind. If somebody comes from a place of pain and struggle, being judged, patronised, ridiculed or even worse ignored by average "acceptable" (or even worse Christian) society will only compound their isolation. Isolation in itself forces some to break away even further from conventional society. Those who are marginalised often end up disenfranchised in more ways than economically. 

Acceptance is a reconciling experience. To be offered shelter and security is a humbling one. And to be shown love is to be touched by God.

In a homily I heard a number of years ago, the priest said. "You can do no harm by loving someone. No harm can come from love." It sounds so simple at first. Yet this is the most primary Christian message of all: to Love. Questions of differences, law, legality, ideology can become distracting. Loves washes away all that is superfluous, till all that is left is purity truth. In essence, God.

Love is fluid when it is of God. It moves like water and water seeps through every space, however small. It must reach everyone.

When I write this I recall the times in the past when I was one of the lost and broken. Not that I'm not still a little broken! Aren't we all :0) Broken yes but lost no. I have found my loving father and my dearest friend in my God. Yet I didn't find Him on my own. I found Him through the unconditional love of those who chose not to judge me even though my life was tattered and torn and drenched in sin. Those that chose only to be a friend to me even though I let them down many times at first. Those who gave the gift of a smile and a few kind, accepting words, even when I acted ungratefully and defensively, secretly feeling unworthy and undeserving. Those that lent, gave and offered even though I couldn't repay. Those who showed tolerance of the many awkward mistakes I made. as I stumbled along upon a path so new to me. Those who helped me were followers of the Gospel and the Living God. Who chose to live their faith on the road of hard knocks so they could reach out to some wayward soul who was simply looking for a place to call home. The narrow path is often not a swift ascent to heavenly heights, but a dusty, rubble covered road, much like the way of Calvary. On it I will come across not only sublime choral chants and angels robed with white but the weary and wasted, the difficult and the disrupting. And I must remember that behind all appearances there hides the face of Jesus in all men.

Isaiah 58, What the gospel Demands,... He to whom much is given....

I have been really struggling over the last week or so. Since watching this series of talks on what the gospel demands.... Especially this one. lIFE shattering! And reading Isaiah 58 daily as a bible study with some friends... ... Sincerely, I've come to question so much about the way we live- I live as a christian. What is God asking of us - me? I was born here in an affluent country. My geography has placed me at an advantage over my brothers and sisters in developing nations. Here I have been scanning the Internet for home school materials while another child cannot even afford to learn to read and write. I see pictures of horrific poverty from the comfort of a PC screen. And what is my response? Is it the response of a follower of Jesus? What does God want me to do with this advantage, this privilege, this position? Indulge myself and my own at the expense of those at the door. Throw scraps from the feast at my table to those with nothing across water and continent? Can we -I be a Christian. a follower of Jesus and also be rich? And I am, rich.

How rich are you? >> I'm loaded. It's official. I'm the 384,123,909 richest person on earth!

We (as a family) have thought along the lines that we are not really rich simply because the bills take nearly everything by the end of the month. But, the very fact that we have bills means we have mainline electricity and clean water on tap.... on tap! It also means we have shelter for our family and our own transportation. This means we are most certainly rich.

• More than one out of six people lack access to safe drinking water, namely 1.1 billion people, and more than two out of six lack adequate sanitation, namely 2.6 billion people

• According to estimates, 100 million people worldwide are literally homeless. They have no shelter: they sleep on pavements, in doorways, in parks or under bridges. Or they sleep in public buildings like railway or bus stations, or in night shelters set up to provide homeless people with a bed.

The estimated number of homeless increases to 1,000 million people if we include those in housing that is "very insecure or temporary, often of poor quality - for instance, squatters who have found accommodation by illegally occupying someone else's home or land and are under constant threat of eviction; those living in refugee camps whose home has been destroyed; and those living in temporary shelters (like the 250,000 pavement dwellers in Bombay)". This is according to a 1996 report by the UN Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).

At the most basic economic level, homelessness is caused by poverty and unemployment. The poor simply cannot afford adequate shelter.

The numbers would surpass 1,000 million if we include "all people who lack an adequate home with secure tenure (ie, as owner-occupiers or tenants protected from sudden or arbitrary eviction) and the most basic facilities such as water of adequate quality piped into the home, provision for sanitation and drainage".

*

We've been really praying over this. Asking God, what can we do? I am coming to believe that He is calling me in His word to leave all in His hands, to trust more and more in providence. To turn away from the fear that leads to tying up all our resources in accounts, insurances, pensions, and mortgages. There are so many who cannot afford housing which is a basic human need, simply because so many who can afford, stretch budgets to buy up property thus pushing the prices above and beyond what is acceptable or affordable. As I read and listen I see that really all we have been given are gifts from His hand, everything we have belongs to Him not us. How would God use the resources we have as Christians? Would He say go ahead, it's okay to have more than you need while there are people dying at the door? Or would God use what we have to clothe the naked, help the lost, feed the hungry, counsel the sorrowful? Some of us are given much so, that we can give much for His glory. Luke 12:48 "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." God gives us a time to embrace His love, grace, forgiveness and prosperity in His land for the time to pass along the abundance, the "overflowing cup" to our neighbours standing with empty hands before us. Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Deuteronomy:26 1-2 "When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket." Can being a Christian really become a state of mind and heart only? Doesn't living water not become stagnant and stale when not allowed to flow freely, from the plentiful river to the trickling stream to the empty cup in a child's hand? Faith in the word will transform my heart and mind till giving up and following becomes the only way to go. A narrowing road that leads only to life. A fearless road that trusts in providence in a radical way. A hard to see road that clears a way for the kingdom of God before the kingdoms of this world. Jesus put it plainly, he cut everything through with the sharp edge of the truth. He said, "Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." Speaking to the rich man who wanted to follow Him Jesus said... " How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." We often think of nuns and monks who take vows of poverty, as something special. But their simplicity of living, believing, being is surely nothing but the basic acceptance of the gospel message for all Christan's. Can we be Christians who spend weekends shopping for more, making Christmas lists that indulge our every lust and engorge our homes with more "stuff".... Be in the mindset that always says bigger, better, more?.... Can we (I) as Christians hoard money, insure every inch of our lives, buy expensive food or products that have been bought for less than the farmer who grows them or the factory worker who sews them can live onto be shipped half way across the world for our convenience?... Is it possible? When a (conservative estimate) of over 25,000 children die each day from hunger.

Which is equivalent to:

• 1 child dying every 3.5 seconds
• 17-18 children dying every minute
• A 2004 Asian Tsunami occurring almost every 1.5 weeks
• An Iraq-scale death toll every 16–38 days
• Over 9 million children dying every year
• Some 70 million children dying between 2000 and 2007

Can we really say that we are followers of a gospel that says GIVE, at every turn? Is Jesus unacceptable to me the way He really is? I pray, pray, pray that I can accept Jesus and His word the way it is. And I pray, pray, pray that I can become acceptable to Him through living it like I believe it. Yes, Really believe it. Not just for the day that it suits me, but for the day when it doesn't. Cos' if I did- we did, really did believe ... Maybe the Kingdom really would come. The Kingdom that is an upside down, back to front kind of a place... When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying... " Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." But if we take the comforting words of the Bible to sooth and strengthen us, surely we must also take the ones that are hard and challenging with just the same confidence. Exodus 12:8 "That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast" And don't these words, if really believed change perspective, transform heart, radically alter mindset and turn life upside down and back to front. In these passages from scripture, God is confronting us with the consequences of throwing scraps to the poor and walking grandly in our own self built cocoon of affluence. Luke 16:19-31

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Isaiah 3: 14 - 26

The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses

What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

The LORD says, "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles.

Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the LORD will make their scalps bald."

In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, ¹⁹ the earrings and bracelets and veils, ²⁰ the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, ²¹ the signet rings and nose rings, ²² the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses ²³ and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.

Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.

Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle.

The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.

*

Ezekiel 16:49 "'The sin of your sister Sodom was this: She lived with her daughters in the lap of luxury—proud, gluttonous, and lazy. They ignored the oppressed and the poor. They put on airs and lived obscene lives. And you know what happened: I did away with them. * What it comes down to for me is is the Bible the truth. Is Jesus telling the truth. Do I believe it? * Thessalonians 2 "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." * The modern "rich" christian church has, in many ways become a powerful delusion. A cover up for a false religion. * James: 1 - 27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." * Culture, consumerism and materialism have become a powerful delusion. The only way to see through the delusion is to accept the truth to the point where it can be transformative in our lives. There are Christians dying and persecuted all over the world right now. And I wonder would we -I be able to stand up and suffer for Jesus in the same way. Right now I don't think I would. If I can't even follow the basics how will I ever have the strength to face the real tests of faith that so many Christan's have had to face over the centuries. Grace is given in the giving. If I can't give, how can I receive? Revelation 3: 15-18 "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. " I don't want to be lukewarm. I don't want to be blind to the suffering of 30000 children and countless more adults and old people every day. I don't want to simply throw scraps from my abundance. I want to learn how to give from my poverty. Like Deepa. Lord, awaken me to the suffering world, Give me the grace to give of myself, my time, my resources, my abundance, Knowing that they are yours not mine Each person a unique child in your sight beloved to you Give me eyes to see as you see The ears to hear the cries that you hear The faith to believe Your word truly as it is. Heal our comfort hardened hearts. Amen. Matthew 5 -13 "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage." If We don't Live it properly, who will?

Beauty.... and the Liturgy of Life.

I love it when I am put into other people's shoes, feeling and experiencing other people's temptations, ideas, sorrows, desires. I have become (over time) grateful for when this happens because it has humbled me so much, it has also caused me to sympathise with people I would have very quickly judged.
The other day I was driving through town. I had many different tasks to do, appointments, time constraints, on top of sleep deprivation and just general anxiety which I'm prone too get when stuck in town anyway. I'm sure I have sensation issues, lights, noise, crowds.... just effect me in a bad way, anyhow....
Emmy noticed this beautiful V line of geese, make it's way across the sun mottled sky above us and pointed it out to me.
Beauty has always been so important to me. It stops me hard. I am compelled by it. I have, on occasion, been caught frozen solid in the middle of a crowded street by a glint of sunlight through the branches of a tree, or forgotten my bag on a bench to wander into a little grove of dappled light on the path ahead.
But for some reason that particular day, the juxtaposition of this sacred ritual of flight in the heavens and the stress of the streets reacted toxically within me.
I felt nauseous and irritated.
I simply didn't want the distraction!
Oh, how beauty has become devalued in our highly industrialised world. We simply don't want the distraction. Everything has become streamlined to manage the practicalities of life efficiently. The sacred journey of the geese, the lichen of every green hue imaginable upon the bark of a horse chestnut tree, and the little spider upon the quivering leaf are left unnoticed by most. The deep truths that speak to our very soul within the natural world are not penetrated for the sake of gleaning a breadth superficial knowledge with the questionable agenda of our mental trawling.
Art always reflects it's society. These days even the art we see hanging out upon the walls of modern galleries has become almost utilitarian in it's aesthetic approach. Soulless and aspiring to look factory made, image after image betrays the mark of a Warhol print from his own pre fab style "factory" line productions.
In many ways, art has become about image rather than intent.
With the constant noise of technology buzzing around us and the demands of a life that turns upon it's dizzying axis, children (adults too) have very much, lost the ability to notice, to observe, to recognise beauty.
For economies sake houses are losing their individuality and workmanship. Products, estates, high streets and interiors emphasis the contemporary twin attributes of being streamlined and functional. Our cities are built, not to reflect the art and civilisation of a nation anymore, they are set into the hardened mould of capital gain.
But we humans are not soulless robots.
A thing done for nothing more than the sake of beauty is surely valuable indeed, within it's own right. It's usefulness or economy should not be it's primary reason for existing.
Is it ours?
The Bible tells us that we have been made to know, love and praise the God of heaven and Earth.
Problem is that these days, these high ideals have become relegated to the sidelines of life. The edges and the hard shoulders, for making small pit stops only when we break down completely.
Life is liturgy. It is discovering of the essence of God within all things. It is the fibonacci sequence within nature, ratio's golden rule!
It is harmony, both inner and outer. Yet we are losing segments of the sequence, we are messing with the DNA of the liturgy. The liturgy of life itself, the Word made flesh.
Noticing, observing and recognising beauty in the natural world around us and in the reflection of this in art was what the great philosopher's of the past saw as the very purpose of life.
Education and life wasn't about the repetition of tasks for the sake of both the individual and national economy, it was for the nourishment and expansion of the soul.
How many people take wonderment. How many people have been taught, or shown how through example, to take wonderment from the simple beauty's within nature.
Children, I truly have come to believe, need to been in nature regularly. They need to be taught the liturgy of life.
I'm glad Emmy noticed. It is becoming a gift, noticing. May I always be able to slow down, stop and stare at the sun glinting through the shivering branches of a city tree lifting it's leaves in praise from the 2 by 2 sqaure patch of dirt along the road.

Photo credit: NaPix -- Now in Sapa VN

Lighting Candles for the world as Family

okay i know i said i was on a break but as usual as soon as i say that i read something i just have to share with you all don't i ;0)

You are called to Evangelization.

Extract from Handbook for today's catholic family.

*A sense of Celebration*

" If we celebrate feast days and make our life festive in expectation of the eternal feast, then we know that life is good, that it is wonderful to live together, that life has an ultimate purpose beyond all the purposes of organized work. We have every reason for contemplation and celebration. We are constantly being invited to rejoice in all that is good, true and beautiful as we recall our roots which come from God who is love, goodness, truth, bliss."

For our Family: One day we will be together sharing God who is love , goodness, truth and bliss. What shall we do to deepen our sense of this eternal adventure and delight as we worship together on Sundays? What shall we do to make our weekends together times of greater joy to remind us of our eternal future?

Influencing Mass Media
"The simplest means of influence is by judicious choice of the products provided b the press, films, cassettes, radio and TV programs; in this way the client speaks forcefully through the market itself.

For our Family: What shall we do as a family to "send a message" to movie makers, TV stations and publishers whose products tear down human life? What shall we do to affirm the ones who are doing good work? What shall we do about trashy TV shows in our own home?

Protecting Human Life
" Our crusades against abortion, against war and mass starvation all must go hand in hand; otherwise we would not be consistent and credible. Those protesting loudly against the threat of nuclear weapons, which can destroy the whole of humankind, do well. But all, while protesting against these striking evils, should ask themselves if they are also willing to make their personal contributions to alieviate dangerous hunger and contagious diseases or to take political action to bring about more generous help to the poorest countries. As the Vatican has documented - the arms race " kills the poor by causing them to starve" And further, they should ask themselves whether they are caring properly for their own health or endangering the health of others."

For our Family: Are we as a family willing to be brave and stand up for what we believe in even though it may go completly against the mainstream? It can be as simple as writing letters, signing petitions, donating money or time to events, organisations and our church. It can mean being a friend to the one who is friendless. Reaching out to the immigrant, the housebound, the young mother or the homeless in our town. We can show that Christ dwells in the least of our brothers and sisters on earth.

Protecting Our Good earth
" Forty years ago nobody would have expected to find a chapter on ecological responsibility in a book about morality in everyday living; only a new world situation and a new knowledge have brought this dimension to the foreground....

" The earth is part of an interaction between the sun and all the planets.....

" This interaction has already been seriously disturbed by recent developments: for instance, the waste of irreplaceable minerals, especially fossil energy resources, and by pollution of water and air. Billions of fish, destined by the Creator to reproduce themselves for all generations, die because of water pollution and as a result of various poisons from industrial wastes. The margin of tolerance of ionizing radiation by industry and armaments has been exceeded in many parts of the world. Asbestos is produced and used in increasing quantities, although it is now known as a principal cause of cancer, second only to excessive smoking."

For our Family: Do we care for the beautiful earth God has created for us like we should? Do we live in harmony with the animals, fish and plant life? It can be as simple as using non toxic products in our homes, walking, riding bikes or using public transport instead of our cars so much. We can make little steps. Recycle, compost, save water and electricity. Eat a little less even. Hand wash and dry clothes and dishes as much as we can. Small steps make a difference.

Transforming the economy

" For today's Christians - more so than for the first generation Christians - active participation in economic life is imperative....

"Once we have exercised our option to view economics under the banner of the Beatitudes we will gradually rid ourselves of our blindness, and begin to realize how frequently and how easily economic success and power are leagued with " unjust mammon" with sinful economic structures, and degrading exploitation and relationships....

"Where people believe in the kingdom of God and concentrate on God's saving justice above all, there the weak and poor are no longer degraded and exploited.

" Where disciples of Christ hunger and thirst for God's justice, there the greed for more money and more power over other's fades away.

" Where believers practice Christ's gentleness, there will be found a solution to conflicts.

" Where people faithfully and gratefully praise the God of mercy, there will be no class hatred, no group selfishness, and no neglect of the handicapped.

" Where believers' hearts are purified by embracing God's love, there will grow a sympathetic understanding of people's genuine needs.

"Where men and women consider themselves highly blessed and honored to be called children of God, there will be total commitment to peace, justice and reconciliation.

" Where people truly believe the message of the Gospel, there will be brave souls like Bishop Romero of El Salvador and thousands of others who are ready to suffer persecution and death for the sake of authentic peace and saving justice. And despite temporary lack of success, they will not lose hope for they have entrusted themselves to God."

For our Family: Does our family make responsible choices when buying products. Do we choose fairtrade wherever possible. Do we recycle, buy secondhand? How much does accumulating, saving and aquiring mean to us as a family? We can make small steps toward, letting go of our need to consume or spend. We can make choices that affect the quality of life of people on the otherside of the world. Do we make choices that affect other's positivly? We can try to be more mindful of how we as a family imprint the world.

Sharing the Good News of Peace.
" What every lover of peace needs is a profound knowledge of Chris, the Prince of Peace, and through appreciation of the peace which he grants....

"Mere passive pacifism, which stands clear of political controversy and other realities, will not do.

As blessed peacemakers ( Matthew 5:9) we must face the realities of life - right on the front line - in order to work for peace in a nonviolent way....

" Mahatma Gandi and Martin Luther King risked their lives and finally sacrificed them for Satyagraha, a system of nonviolence which emphasized the power of truth, love, justice and solidarity in the service of the down trodden. Gandi, though not formally a christian, was a fervent disciple of Christ; he was convinced that this method embodied the central message of the Sermon on the Mount and the life and death of Christ.

" In their ashrams (houses of prayer) the followers of Gandi are trained in the use of Satagraha. They learn that it means nothing less that total dedication to the liberating truth that God is Love and that He is a God of Peace.....

" This Gandian method of achieving social and political reform on the art of detecting our Inner forces of Truth and Love for ourselves and others ( including our enemies) of regarding them as precious gifts of God, and activating them by unwavering love.

" This will require of us the courage to eliminate our primitive patterns of hatred, our trust in menacing armaments, our classification of certain people as " cunning enemies" who fully deserve to be debased.....

" IT is my firm conviction that the only way we Christians can break out of the vicious circle of the armaments race is for all of us to take on the attitude of and apply the skill of Satyagrha. This will be a concrete sign of our faith in the Gospel of Peace, and it should become the most effective " defense contract" we ever made.

*

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For our Family : We pray for peace within our own homes and in the world beyond. We can seek forgiveness within our own family and our wider world family. We can encourage instead of critisize, and hold out a hand of compassion instead of judgement. We can seek the way of peace together.

These are candle which our family may light to bring the light of Christ into the world. The light of Peace, Goodness and LOVE...
"You are the light of the world" Says Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."




( all "quoted " content apart from biblical quotes are from Father Bernard Haring a leading theologian and spiritual adviser at the second vatican council)

God Knows

My 10 year old has been studying for an exam called the 11 + which she will be taking on Saturday morning.

There are many different opinions about the 11+ some are for the exam some are totally against it but we thought we would put her up for it, mainly because she wanted us too and her opinion really counts for something to us. She is a wise and good natured soul and I still swear I've learnt more from that little girl than she'll ever be able to learn from me.

I had been planning on homeschooling all my girls once they reach high school age. It's just a conviction our family has, not saying it's for everybody but I feel God has lead our family this way.

We are really lucky with the primary school Emmy and Bujana attend. It's friendly, warm, welcoming and focuses just as much on forming friendships, kindness, tolerance and spiritual and emotional development as it does the academics. This was the clincher for me so far as sending my two eldest there. Emmy has really blossomed and made a few very dear and special friendships at this school. But I had been concerned that I wouldn't find a secondary school that would strike such a good balance.

Well, before the Summer holidays, Emmy went with her Dad to visit the local Grammar school and they both came home with such wonderful enthusiasm.

Emmy said she could imagine herself being really happy there as it focuses on Science which she loves and it has a wonderful design tech and art department which she also loves! This meant she was talking about it all through the holidays lol !

So I was persuaded. Emmy would go to that school if she past the 11 + .

More than anything I have always wanted Emmy to follow her heart and be happy.

Yesterday she took a mock 11+ test at school and failed it very badly.

So this means It looks like she won't be getting into this school.

For a moment, after I got the results of the mock test, I felt some awful feelings swell within. Feelings of worry, doubt, frustration.

Each one crowding my mind argumentatively. What do we do? Surely she couldn't have tried hard enough? But everyone expected her to pass easily! She'll be so disappointed! What about the opportunities she'll miss, the opportunities that I can't provide for her at home? What if I can't do a good enough job at home schooling? What if I fail her? I should have pushed her harder, made her practice and revise more!

Then I looked at her face, her beautiful, face, kind, sweet, desiring to please, gentle, smiling, free from care. My beautiful girl.

And I felt ashamed. I held her close.

And then, in that moment, before my eyes, my ten year old daughter grew to be a young lady in a sentence. At a crossroads that must seem like a big fork in the road to her ten year old feet, she simply looked me in the eyes and quietly said.

" God knows Mummy. God knows what's best for me, and I accept God's decision."

A way of life, of believing, of trusting that we have tried, her Daddy and I , to bring her up with.

A faith in a God "who knows" echoing back to her from someplace in her heart at the very moment she probably needed it most so far in her life.

Many of her good friends will be going to this school, I know it will be hard for her not to see them so much but.... And this is a big one.

So long we try our best that is what counts. God knows the best route for us. Sometimes it's not the one that looks logical, or the one that we want, but it will somehow be the right one.

God himself often takes what the world, or we ourselves, consider to be a failure and uses it for good better than every one of our successes.

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Sometimes I fear we( including me) (even in a Christian culture) tend to pursue education for its own sake rather than considering how it will enable us to better serve God.

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I don't regret the times I could have made Emmy practice and revise yet didn't because it would have carved into time that is precious for her and us as a family. If passing an exam means giving up huge chunks of all the things that really matter in our family. Making and preparing meals together, prayer and bible readings in the evening, having our "long meandering talks"

Making some art or writing, or baking, or sewing, growing veggies, practising the piano, helping the people in our neighbourhood, forging friendships and relationships (breath :0)

then, I guess, it's just not meant to be passed. At least not by one of my children :0)

The pressures on kids academically are enormous. A few decades ago you needed a couple of GCSE's to get your foot into a job you would like, now even a university degree has become devalued. Children are spending 7 hours at school and are given two hours of homework to do afterward which is so very much. I worry there isn't enough of a balance for them.

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If God wills it I will joyfully home school this beautiful young lady of mine next year.

I shall not fear, or worry or doubt the course. Just trust the Lord who steers this ship :0)

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My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. (Exodus 33:14)

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It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

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The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27)

I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8)

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You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7-8)

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I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)
Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10b)

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Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved. (Psalm 127:1-2)

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

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Your father knows what you need before you ask him. So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today's trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:8b, 31-34)

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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11: 28-31)

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Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7)

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Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest. (Luke 12:25-26)

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Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

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Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. (John 15:4-5,7,10)

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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

In my father's house

I have been thinking quite alot about Christian unity recently, and Robert's wonderful and thought provoking post at his blog "Mulled Vine" http://mulledvine.blogspot.com/2007/09/truth.html really motivated me to write about this issue on my blog.

LOVE, kindness, humility, gentleness,
are these not the attributes Jesus asks us to imitate?

We are called as Christians to bestow these gifts upon even those who seek to harm us.

Offering them as an embrace of union amoung fellow brothers and sisters in Christ should be something natural.

Sometimes, it seems, that all to often we see the argument first, the opinions, the ideologies and the differences between ourselves and another. We find these things before we search for their soul, their spirit, their intentions, the hurt, their joy, their love, their inner beauty.

Only seeing the outlines, the two dimensions of another human being turns them into an object, a set of ideas we either agree or disagree with. Aren't people so much more than this.

Search to find the contours, the light and shade, the colours of another's inner being and we will see the reflections of God also. Glinting like shards of sunlight upon deep waters. Illuminating, the shadows.. the indentations.. the negative spaces.

Bringing them all to the surface.

We need to love freely. We need to LOVE first.

Digging, picking, probing, thinking, rethinking....

God's love is pure and simple.

It is all that is required.

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It is what unites everything from the light which reflects from smallest particle of dust beneath an open window to the vastness of a supernova millions of light years away.

Why are Christians of different denomiations so suspicious of eachother, particularly it seems, over the internet?

Regardless of the differences between everybody one thing over rides everything.

"Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end."

Corintians 1 - 13 The Message

Engaging only with the child of God in other's. The child of God alone. Not the exteraneous, the integral.

James 4:1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?"

A human's relationship with God is such a deeply powerful and personal thing, however everyone is called to it in a different way, and called to express it in a diffrent way. Each person's life, situation, experiences etc.. are diffrenet and God know's how to call people to a church that is best for them.

"In my Father's house there are many mansions: If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also. John 14:2-3

In the end we all fall to our knees beneath one Cross.

Douay-Rheims BibleBy this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.

John 13:35

The pursuit of ?

I have been meaning to write something on this subject for a while and have been finally inspired to actually do so by the wonderful articles on http://littlejennywren.blogspot.com/ and http://isabellainthe21stcentury.blogspot.com/ concerning the position of the family in modern life.

Taking my eldest daughter back to school yesterday made me feel so sad with resignation as I was once again reminded of the relentless pace of modern life. I truly believe that the constant rushing about, the endless commitments to this or that, the extra curricular activities, long working hours have all had a terribly erosive effect upon both family life, community life and the quality of life in general. Life, it seems has become a pressure cooker ready to boil over. So many people seem to be just hanging on to the frayed edges of their responsibilities, in a state of existence instead of living. Children and adults alike have no time at the perimeters of each day to just be themselves, just be with each other, JUST BE in general.

For many people, in order to pay for the basics either both parents have to work or one has to work incredibly long hours. Ten hour days are considered by many to be standard these days and that doesn't include the commute. I just feel so sad that we as a society and in more general terms, the world at large, is in an endless, relentless, unbridled pursuit of an "idealised" "perfect" life. It is in the blind pursuit that the important things, the truly wonderful things and the precious moments of life are lost, discounted and unrealised, discarded, neglected and left for a tomorrow that never comes.

Family life, relationships, simple interactions between people. Respect, kindness, compassion, trust, empathy and love are what create cohesive societies, communities and families. When family life is not prioritised as the root of a healthy society the society as a whole begins to breakdown and decay.

Everything seems back to front and upside down. We work so that we may enjoy our families however the structure of work in these modern times combined with our insatiable consumerism have collectively formed a highly restrictive design for our lives.

The only way to cope with the pressure is to find ways to spend the money we have worked so hard to earn on things that can numb and distract us from our exhaustive reality.

My daughter typed up and printed out a motto for our family during the holidays and I think it sums it all up.

"Always speak with a smile. Address other's with kindness from the heart.

Nothing is worth sacrificing patience, love and understanding for.

If you can't keep your cool doing what your doing stop doing it :0)

That's that!"

I love this simple, straightforward perspective. Put into the no nonsense wording that only a child could find to explain something so simple and true:0) And isn't it true? These should be the priorities of life. No matter what we achieve, what is it worth if it was done at the expense of, family, friendship, kindness, love.

The smallest acts of kindness and love are worth more than grand gestures that sacrifice these things in order to be realised.

If you haven't visited Jewel's blog at Eyes of Wonder ( check the sidebar for a link:0) I highly recommend it. The beautiful journalling of her families simple but incredibly loving and joyful life both illustrates and highlights that which is most precious of all. Simplicity, family, love, faith, joy and wonderment of the journey not just the destination :0)

Every moment is a gift, an allotment of time to which we are the tennants.

Child of our times

In modern society the media has an incredible level of influence over us. We are saturated in images of all kinds and bombarded with advertising, often subliminally, without our conscious realization.

Children are so very vulnerable to dominant ideologies present within all types of media. Children spend much less time in adult company than ever they did before and as a result their identities are primarily moulded by the shape of the outside world (their peer group, and the stylised reality created by film, television, video games and the music industry) The dynamics of family relationships within the context of the home have changed so dramatically over the last 60 years or so. The concepts of respect, coop oration and personal responsibility are not nurtured within a loving, secure and safe environment under the gentle guidance of adults as they used to be. This has created a generation of children that are simultaneously both intellectually advanced, worldly, sophisticated yet emotionally underdeveloped and often not mature enough to cope with the onslaught of information presented to them. The countless choices available to us these days has in many ways become restrictive we become paralysed by indecision. Equally children have become, sadly it seems, quite desensitised to the pure simple joys of life. Their brains work at the speed of scene changes in a movie sequence. Life has become so super fast and super charged. There is no space for kids to just be. Their is no millimetre left between for creativity to seep, for dreams to grow, for contentment to meander through in search of simple carefree joy. And shouldn't that be what childhood is all about. Simplicity, security, joy?

According to popular representations within the media, girls have to use their sexuality to succeed, to be popular, to be admired, to find somebody to love them. It seems to be unquestionably assumed that the way a person looks both reflects and determines their level of success in life. Equally, the amount of money one earns equates with their level of influence and importance in the world. Boys have to be tough and unemotional, life should never get to serious, feelings should never run to deep, honesty doesn't apply unless used as a power tool to intimidate, dominate and control others. Judging those less intelligent, powerful and fortunate than ourselves has become a national past time. And we wonder why everyone is so defensive, anxious and unsatisfied?!?!?

I have four little girls and I certainly restrict much of their exposure to all types of media. I want them to learn compassion, I want them to grow into their personalities naturally instead of superimposing them from a montage of characters on a television show. I want them to hold true to their beliefs and not feel they have to compromise them to fit in. I don't want them to think that they have to have the coolest clothes and the newest toys to be popular with their friends.

I want them to stay children within the safe realm of childhood for as long as they need to. It is such a precious time. It is the foundation on which the rest of a life is built. It should be cherished. It should be sacred.

Standing at the gate of a new year

Unless a wheat of grain falls on the ground and dies,

it remains only a single grain;

but if it dies,

it yields a rich harvest."

(John. 12:17)

"For it is from within, from men's hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean."

(Mark. 7:13)

There is so much emphasis, especially at this time of year, on "decluttering" "setting goals" and "making resolutions."

Most of these adjendas centre around the concept of renewal as the new year dawns upon us. But is it an internal renewal we are looking for or a quick sweep around the external framework, of our lives: dusting the cobwebs from the windowframes instead of the residues from the windows. Is the renewal we are seeking focused on the interiers of our being or are we simply trying to gain a little curb appeal? Certainly most of the tasks we set ourselves centre around material objectives. The grand resolutions we proclaim to make are more often than not simply an attempt to control the variables of life by managing risk factors (i.e.) giving up various vices and/or reaffirming or redesigning our identities to fit the life we think we aspire to have. In the modern world we consume the symbols which affilate with the lifestyles we hope to attain and as a result the emphasis seems to be upon owning our lives as opposed to living them. The incentive is not to become better from within but to patent the exteriors with physcological gloss of smoke and mirrors. Beneath the facade this ideology comes down to what we want to have as opposed to what we want to be.

The real business of de-cluttering means striping back the surfaces not applying more whitewash to the walls.

Becoming that which you were intended to be from the beggining is really what it means to be reborn and renewed along with the change from one year to the next.

It is the distractions that lead you away from God, turn your head from the light and your body from the path are what should really be put out with the trash.

Whether this is the television, overtime at work, video games, shopping, unhealthy food, alcohol, drugs or negative people.

The elements that often provide transient, mute, numbing pleasure to our senses while desensitising us to the truths about ourselves and our lives are like non degradable rubbish in an ever deepening landfill.

The sadness being that the landfill is our soul.

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the new year: "Give me a light that I may tread saftley into the unknown." And he replied :" Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.

Living fearlessly

"That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. For life means more than food, and the body more than clothing"

Luke 12:34, 22.

"Sell your posessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, trreasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it."

Luke 12:34, 33.

"But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now."

Luke 6:11, 24.

People are in such a rush to be somewhere important, be somebody special, complete their ambitions and take control of their destiny before they are even old enough to get a driving license!?!?. Go to any bookshop and you will see 18 to 30 year old (sometimes even younger) celebrity autobiographies. No wonder there is a constant, low level, white noise uncertainty that you may have already "missed the boat". The pace of life and the pressures to be "perfect" are so consuming these days. We feel like we must charge along at 90mph, to reach our goals. We feel we have to own the latest home entertainment system to show that we have attained a certain position in society. The utility of an object has less meaning than it's symbolism in the contemporary world. A designer handbag with matching 6 inch heeled patented shoes may have little to know practical use but it symbolises success in society. It shows people that we are not the underdog, we are powerful before even opening our mouths.

But is there a greater strength in humility and a subtler dignity in poverty? Is their peace in choosing the right paths instead of the paths that will seemingly get us to our destination more quickly or lead us out of our responsibilities more effectivly? And what is the purpose of reaching our destination if we learned nothing on the journey? So that once we reach our destination of choice we still remain unsatisfied and impatient to seek newer, greener pastures? Is a courage in throwing off your security blankets: the expensive wardrobe, the faster car, the bigger house, the insurance policies, the credit cards and living a simpler life?

I believe that does take courage to take the first steps following an unmapped road with only faith, hope and love to guide you. But once you find your stride I know that there is also peace to be found in these ways and joy in the taking of every single small step forward. I am only at the beggining, beneath the shadow of the mountain but I know that from the mountains peak the and the possibilities will be eternal and endless.