Peace be with all of you -
The grass is turning green and tulips are in bloom here in Kansas City. I hope this finds each of you well and taking time this Lent season to "fast" from the things that keep you from growing closer to God.
For the girls and I, so many blessings are continually poured out on us from Him through our many friends and family. First, I have found and started a new job with a local company that will keep the girls within their support network and allow us to pay the mortgage. On the day I received the job offer an orchid that we received in July and has been dormant since suddenly bloomed -- it was like heaven was smiling on the event. The flower has since opened a total of 12 blooms and remains a reminder of looking for the wonderfully beautiful moments of His grace in our daily lives. Some of the other blooms coincided with friends birthdays, friends job offers, and many other wonderful happenings. Its color is purple - the color that represents hope.
The girls continue through school and Grace has missed much due to illnesses but seems to be back on the healthy side again. Zoe has turned 10 and has had another surgery (now 20+) and did well - what a trooper and I pray that it helps her continue to relieve pain and improve muscle functions. We are all looking forward to Grace's 1st Communion - she has a beautiful dress and thanks to helping hands of friends she will have her hair done up way beyond my skills for the event. I have wonderful girls.
Recently, I came across a quote from Alexander Graham Bell ...
"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."
The quote became meditation and inspiration for me as I realized that I did not want to be consumed with looking backwards at events of the past even as treasured and sacred as they were are now are behind a closed door. I am able cherish memories and times past but must move forward with the here and now - God isn't the God of I was. Nor, is He the God of I will be. He is the eternal I AM - he is here now in this very moment. I know many of you may wish Ann was still with us - holding on to the way things were. However, I believe she is serving you still now in your current moments in her capacity in heaven. Through a number of messages from above, I am receiving the clear message to see the open doors in my life. In a beautiful way, this is the message and lesson of the orchid - to be in the present and to enjoy life through serving others.
If this message finds you "regretfully looking at a closed door of your past" I pray this message of Springtime Hope may help you in some small way towards the healing you may need in your life as well.
God is so good and I am so wonderfully blessed.
May God's mercy and grace rest upon you.
Hal
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Jesus I Trust in You
Greetings all -
The title is from the Divine Mercy image revealed to St. Faustina. I find it is a good phrase to repeat to keep myself focused on Him rather than me.
Its ironic at times that I find myself thinking that blue sky is on the way. Wanting and waiting for the way of the cross to get easier for some illogical reason -- the reality is the opposite. The more we tune into His ways the greater the burden seems...and then, when we finally let Him take over, we laugh and wonder what the big deal was in the first place for it seems suddenly too easy. Sure the burdens and suffering are still there. However, instead of our puny ability to withstand then, we receive supernatural assistance and the burden is made easy and the yoke is light.
For me, trust is the piece that I need to return to again and again to give me the confidence in taking the next step. I know in the uncertainties ahead that Jesus desires to be with me, my girls and all of you. At each step, it is my choice, and yours too my friends, if I trust and let Jesus lead or if I try to do it the hard way (my way) first. How entertaining we must be to our Father in Heaven?
Zoe, Grace and I are back into the swing of school and work. Grace is so much looking forward to her First Communion - and I am too. Zoe is mere days away from being 10! That milestone somehow makes me feel a bit older. I am truly blessed with great kids. Most days I feel like we are getting the bare minimum necessary items done - as much as we try to slow down there is always the busyness of school. I wish there were more hours in each day so that I could spend 8 hours giving each of them all the comfort and attention they deserve. Unfortunately, that simply isn't the typical work/school day.
I am still in search of an answer to what the next step in my career may be -- I am blessed with some recent leads and help on this front. We are working on being more ordered in our day and week to simplify our days and make more room for prayer, family and friends.
God bless you.
Hal
The title is from the Divine Mercy image revealed to St. Faustina. I find it is a good phrase to repeat to keep myself focused on Him rather than me.
Its ironic at times that I find myself thinking that blue sky is on the way. Wanting and waiting for the way of the cross to get easier for some illogical reason -- the reality is the opposite. The more we tune into His ways the greater the burden seems...and then, when we finally let Him take over, we laugh and wonder what the big deal was in the first place for it seems suddenly too easy. Sure the burdens and suffering are still there. However, instead of our puny ability to withstand then, we receive supernatural assistance and the burden is made easy and the yoke is light.
For me, trust is the piece that I need to return to again and again to give me the confidence in taking the next step. I know in the uncertainties ahead that Jesus desires to be with me, my girls and all of you. At each step, it is my choice, and yours too my friends, if I trust and let Jesus lead or if I try to do it the hard way (my way) first. How entertaining we must be to our Father in Heaven?
Zoe, Grace and I are back into the swing of school and work. Grace is so much looking forward to her First Communion - and I am too. Zoe is mere days away from being 10! That milestone somehow makes me feel a bit older. I am truly blessed with great kids. Most days I feel like we are getting the bare minimum necessary items done - as much as we try to slow down there is always the busyness of school. I wish there were more hours in each day so that I could spend 8 hours giving each of them all the comfort and attention they deserve. Unfortunately, that simply isn't the typical work/school day.
I am still in search of an answer to what the next step in my career may be -- I am blessed with some recent leads and help on this front. We are working on being more ordered in our day and week to simplify our days and make more room for prayer, family and friends.
God bless you.
Hal
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Back to the routine...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all.
We have had a good break from our normal routine to celebrate Jesus' Birthday and to enjoy some good family times together. There were also many great times with several of our friends as well. Certainly, things were different this year and each of us had moments where we needed to take a moment to remember Ann and long for her to still be with us physically.
We didn't do everything that would have normally been done -- that was completely ok as Christ isn't in the cookies... I have to say though that I learned a lot about the immense planning and details that I took for granted in the past -- beyond the cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, dinners, cards, decorations, etc.. Wow -- its a lot to do. Not that I slacked before, but I never really fully appreciated all that was done. Fellas -- if you're reading this please take a moment to thank your wife for all that she does.
In the past few weeks, God has given me the grace to be in the moment and really appreciate the beauty of my daughters and how if the moment is just right how much they reflect their mother's beauty as well. I am blessed with their love and pray that I may lead them closer to Jesus this year through daily prayer and all the love I can channel from Him to them.
We have continued to be touched by the Father's Love in many ways through you -- in your prayers and thoughtfulness in actions. I thank you over and over again.
Hal
We have had a good break from our normal routine to celebrate Jesus' Birthday and to enjoy some good family times together. There were also many great times with several of our friends as well. Certainly, things were different this year and each of us had moments where we needed to take a moment to remember Ann and long for her to still be with us physically.
We didn't do everything that would have normally been done -- that was completely ok as Christ isn't in the cookies... I have to say though that I learned a lot about the immense planning and details that I took for granted in the past -- beyond the cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, dinners, cards, decorations, etc.. Wow -- its a lot to do. Not that I slacked before, but I never really fully appreciated all that was done. Fellas -- if you're reading this please take a moment to thank your wife for all that she does.
In the past few weeks, God has given me the grace to be in the moment and really appreciate the beauty of my daughters and how if the moment is just right how much they reflect their mother's beauty as well. I am blessed with their love and pray that I may lead them closer to Jesus this year through daily prayer and all the love I can channel from Him to them.
We have continued to be touched by the Father's Love in many ways through you -- in your prayers and thoughtfulness in actions. I thank you over and over again.
Hal
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