right now.

So last Sunday, we were watching the mass with Fr. Mike Schmitz and he said something in the homily that has stayed with me all week. He said ( I’m paraphrasing here) we can’t encounter God in the past or the future, only in the present.

Obvious? Maybe. Profound? Definitely. If we actually believe this, it has the power to change our attitude, our perspective and our life!

How many of us are guilty for playing on repeat the mistakes of the past, or the way things should have gone? Or how about the worries of the future? How much time is wasted thinking about what might happen, what could be, or the perfect scenario?

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What Father Mike is encouraging us to do, is to radically trust in the power of God working in the present moment! Isn’t that freeing?! Just think: actually letting go and surrendering all that happened in your past, and all that you worry and fear for in the future. Just living moment to moment with your Heavenly Father.

Lord Jesus,

You see each one of us right now. You know our hearts, and our thoughts. You see the burdens we carry from the past and the fears that we hold for the future. We surrender all of these moments, worries, anxieties and hopes to you. We want to live in the freedom that you have won for us on the Cross. We want to live with you right now! Come Jesus into our hearts and meet us in this exact moment. Show us how to live a life that is truly present to you and your people. Send your Spirit to guide, inspire and enlighten us. We love and thank you.

Amen.

quote for the soul ✨

don’t forget ✨

Let us always remember:

We are playing on the winning team.

The light is greater than the darkness.

Good will always triumph over evil.

Peace and love are victorious

God is holding us right now!

• 

in the wind.

Your in the wind,

the flame, the light.

Holy Spirit,

Our souls ignite.

Set us ablaze,

With your own love,

Decend on us,

O Holy Dove.

More than ever,

We choose anew.

In these dark times,

To trust in you.

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steeped in love ☕️

I think it’s safe to say that most of us experience desert like conditions in our prayer life! Perhaps our prayers seem insincere or maybe we have no desire to enter prayer because we feel lost, empty or confused.

That’s pretty much where I found myself today during my prayer time. After a lot of non prayer related thinking and worrying -I tried to actively receive the love of the Lord. Father Larry Richards gave a talk in a virtual conference a few weeks ago, and he mentioned how crucial it is to let ourselves be held and loved by Jesus. That talk and his words have really stayed with me and came back to my mind in prayer today.

So after finally letting go and just focusing on the love of Christ- I had this beautiful image. It was a very simple cup of tea. The tea bag was released into the hot water, and slowly the water was changed into a beautiful rich brown, full of flavour and depth.

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It seems to me that we could be likened to this bag of tea. We are called to steep in the waters of the love of Christ; in his warm, constant and life giving presence. Christ gives us this daily invitation to accept, receive and steep in his constant, perfect and all fulfilling love. What could be more wonderful?

Quote for the soul ✨

“ …A duty performed solely from a sense of duty may prove wearisome and difficult; the same duty performed out of love becomes easy and pleasant. Love always minimizes the difficulties in its path…” -Fr. William R. Bonniwell, O.P

A beautiful reminder to let authentic love guide our words, actions and thoughts this day ❤️

through the lens

You guys know how much I love writing about finding God through beauty! I mean, it’s the basis for my blog after all! But what I just keep coming back to over the years, is how present and close I feel to God in the natural world.

I can’t get enough of the sights, smells, and wonders that come with the passing seasons, diverse landscapes, plentiful plant and animal species, weather patterns, sun rises and sun sets.

It’s in these moments that I feel close to God. How can I forget his love when it’s literally painted across the sky, the sea, the fields, the stars?! God doesn’t waste a moment trying to win our hearts and remind us of his steadfast love.

So today I wanted to share a few photos that reflect those times where I felt the immense power and beauty of God, the divine Artist.

Lemon tree in the Angelicum garden in Rome, Italy. Perfect moment.

Prairie sky after a little evening rain. Even a little rainbow if you look closely!

Exploring the city of Heidelberg, Germany brought us to this incredible path leading us to a gorgeous look out point!

Dreamy sunset with colours that melt my heart!

All these photos and more can be found on my instagram account theauthorofbeauty! God bless and keep delighting in all that is truly beautiful…

the Lord’s Day

O living hope,

True source of peace,

You show us that,

Love does not cease.

Raised from the tomb,

We came to see;

The power of,

Your victory.

O Perfect Love,

Burn in our heart,

That we may never,

Drift apart.

Photo by Adrien Olichon on Pexels.com

a little bit of everything

Happy Easter Everyone!

We made it! After what feels like 40 years, we’ve finally entered the Easter season. Alleluia! Lent was an especially long and challenging journey this year. Hopefully, we’ve all come out a little stronger in the Lord and ready to embark on the next season ahead of us!

Tonight’s post is a little mix of things that were on my mind that I wanted to include you in! The first one is an invitation. I’ve just started an instagram account, so feel free to find me there under the username theauthorofbeauty. I’ll be capturing and sharing the beautiful moments, people and places along this pilgrimage called life!

Next, is a movie that I’ve been meaning to write about for a long time. I know that people can be pretty particular when it comes to movies, or at least I am. But I think this movie is an exception. It’s just so all around heart warming, I can’t imagine people disliking it. The movie is called The Peanut Butter Falcon. It follows the journey of a young man named Zak who has Down syndrome and wants to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler, despite living in a nursing home. Through unexpected evens, he meets Tyler, a rough and troubled man running from his past, and the two embark on an unforgettable adventure.

I was touched to tears (the good kind) a few times in the movie, because of it’s (indirectly) incredibly profound pro life message. In a world so obsessed with darkness, death and crime… this movie was refreshing, authentic, hilarious and life giving. I was left with a beautiful hope and gratefulness in my heart.

In these long and isolating times, why don’t you go grab a cozy blanket, grab some snacks and watch The Peanut Butter Falcon! Before you know it, you will find yourself immersed in the incredible adventure of Zak and Tyler, wanting the story to continue long after the credits.

will we?

Will we come to the sacred Cross,

And kneel at Mary’s side?

To contemplate this gruesome loss,

Our Savior who has died.

In silence do we bear the pain,

Submit to greater love?

To know the Lamb who has been slain,

Was sent from heavn’ above.

With eyes like Mary, let us see,

That light and hope remain.

His body hung upon the tree,

Will come to life again.

• 

Adapted from original post on December 2, 2016