I hope your day is as beautiful a gift as mine. I wanted to share what our pastor shared in the bulletin which I thought was a great message. Dr. John Yzaguirre had presented the idea of the "House of Self" which has seven rooms: family, job, soul, friends, health, on-going education,and community/service. Each day we need to spend time in each room for balance in our life. PROBLEM: We tend to spend too much time in one or two rooms and so neglect the others. WE get unbalanced! In which rooms do you spend most of your time? Which rooms are you thus neglecting? Do you, like me, need to get more BALANCE in your life? Let's see what we can do about getting more "balanced". Best of luck....BLESSINGS....would love to hear about your rooms!

HAPPY CORPUS CHRISTI FEAST! Sunday we celebrate the feast of the "body of Christ"--one of my favorites. In our community when we were invested with the habit and received a new name, we also received a "predicate"...Sister NN "of ...." The "of" was the predicate. I chose "of the Sacred Host". Since childhood I have a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament...so Corpus Christi, Sunday is my feast day too. All parishes in our archdiocese of Milwaukee, I believe, have one day of the week where they have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. People come in and spend time in adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition before the Blessed Sacrament. Our parish, St. Eugene's, has adoration on Tuesdays. Since I am between ministries, I take time in the morning to visit and chat with the Lord, exposed in the monstrance on the altar. I am very awed by the number of people who come spend time with the Lord. I love the peace and serenity of my time spent there. Renews my faith and hope. Strengthens me to live more generously and lovingly....a challenge at times. I hope you have this marvelous opportunity: exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. I promise you serenity and peace.

Happy Pentecost....I wish you the Holy Spirit! I love Pentecost! I love the prayers to the Holy Spirit. I use "The WORD among us" for reflection and I really liked today's reflection. I would like to share it with you. "How can we tell if this breath of God is actie ion our lives? we will feel energized by the Spirit, and we will want to set our sights on being like Jesus. We will feel moved to go to work for the kingdom, relying on the Spirit's power and guidance. we will try to be more loving, more kind, and more patient. Right now, stop and take a few deep breaths. In your minnd, imagine yourself breathibg in the Spirit and breathing out your sin. Picture yourself accepting the Lord and his plans, and letting go of you own plans and visions. Know that what you are breathing in is pure, holy, and intoxicating. Jesus has great plans for every member of his church. And that includes you!" So....I do wish you the Holy Spirit in all fullness!

Buenos dias...decidi escribir hoy en espanol. No se si habra quien me lo lea. Estaba pensando en la fiesta de hoy: la Asencion...(tambien debo admitir que no soy tan magnifica con mi espanol....de modo que me perdonan mis erores!) Estaba pensando, resando, really, en la asencion del Senor. Y pense, que tal seria la experiencia de los apostoles al ver al Senor subiendo, subiendo, envuelto en una nube. Luego me dije: you lo voy a hacer. Me voy a poner en esa situacion. Yo voy a ser una de las personas que estaban alli. Y lo hice...que experincia! Ahora tu....has eso tambien para ver que te pasa....

I have been out of circulation for quite a while....so I welcome myself back!!!!!! Interesting how indispensable we are! Blogging has progressed without me. It is wonderful to know that we are not the "end all, be all". Lots has happened while I was "gone"...I will not bore you with that. Here in Glendale, WI, Spring, or really now, Summer, is gifting us with such bright greens....simply grand! We are now beautifying the space around the house with yellow and red flowers...hopefully we will not be visited by four-legged "friends". I am just "shocked" at the variety of bright greens...love it! Admire it as I drive around and never tire of its beauty....what a gift! One more thing for which to say: GRACIAS!

Hop along...

Are you old enough to remember Hop Along Cassidy? Well, I am the latest "hop-along." February 25, I fell to the tune of a severe ankle sprain. I am modelling the newest SSM footwear! It's quite the boot! You are able to inflate and deflate it as needed. What a specialty!

This "hop-along" experience (to last 4-6 weeks) has been my Lenten gift from the Lord. An experience in humility and dependence. I am a very independent peson. A "can do this fine, thank you." And since this is usually true, am quite engrained in this "can do" attitude.

My challenge to humility and dependence was really tried this last week. We, SSM's, had a five-day community meeting. I depended on some sister's kindness to "get me to the place on time," to get my food, to get me to the ladies' room, to keep the ice chest full (for the bandages). Name it, somebody had to do it for me.

I was blessed with my many generous and thoughtful sisters who were always there for me, ready to do what was needed. I will not soon run out of people for whom to pray!

COMMUNITY...that is our life....being there for the other. And I certainly experienced it in full measure! A wonderful example for me.

Thank you, dear sisters. You truly were sister to me. God will reward you GREATLY!

Truly inspiring....

It's amazing how sometimes the "same old-same old" strikes you as so new! This happened to me during my morning reflection time.

I use "the WORD among us" and today's reflection was so inspirng for me that I must share it with you.

"We are all temples of the Holy Spirit, and that means that we have something extremely valuable to give out. We have the mercy, compassion, wisdom, and strength that come from the heart of God, living in us. That "cup" of grace we have received is so full that it can't help but overflow out of us.

Loving others as Jesus loves us goes beyond the Golden Rule. God wants us to be his light in the world. Consider the words of St Teresa of Avila: "Christ hs no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours." Every day, in every moment, God has a purpose for you that extends into eternity. That purpose includes everyone you come in contact with."

Talk about POWERFUL! As I said, "nothing new", yet I heard it in a new way. Must have been the Spirit speaking JUST TO ME!

I pray the same for you!