Do you want to rock the world? Like St. Francis who moved spiritual mountains
and Mother Teresa who moved heaven and earth to serve the poor, we can change
the world. We would not be here if God did not plan for just that. He put us
here to make a difference in every walk of life.
and Mother Teresa who moved heaven and earth to serve the poor, we can change
the world. We would not be here if God did not plan for just that. He put us
here to make a difference in every walk of life.
God has a plan for each of us thatwill reverberate throughout the world and down the generations; a mother who
fills her home with love that overflows into the world, a father whose strong
example passes down through generations, or someone like Joan of Arc who led soldiers.
The best possible way to make a
difference is to say one little sentence:
“Lord, use me according to your will.” Consider that each of us has a maximum potential
for serving God in our lives. We can ask
him to open our hearts to receive the graces to reach our potential.
difference is to say one little sentence:
“Lord, use me according to your will.” Consider that each of us has a maximum potential
for serving God in our lives. We can ask
him to open our hearts to receive the graces to reach our potential.
Behind the Newsmakers
I have been inspired this week, by
the story of two different kids who ended up homeless due to negligent parents.
These determined kids; David
Boone from Ohio and Dawn
Loggins from North Carolina became homeless. We are wowed by their
determination to overcome huge obstacles and get into Harvard. As I read the stories, however, I was not
just impressed by the students’ success, but by the people who took them in. In David’s case, a teacher, and also a friend,
often gave him a place to sleep in between park benches and the ballpark. Dawn
was taken in by her school’s janitor where she also worked cleaning before and
after the school day to earn money. How many of
us would have taken in a homeless teen?
If we knew they’d end up on the news for getting into Harvard, would we be
more willing to take them in? There’s
only one good reason to do something for someone: out of love for God and our fellow
man.
the story of two different kids who ended up homeless due to negligent parents.
These determined kids; David
Boone from Ohio and Dawn
Loggins from North Carolina became homeless. We are wowed by their
determination to overcome huge obstacles and get into Harvard. As I read the stories, however, I was not
just impressed by the students’ success, but by the people who took them in. In David’s case, a teacher, and also a friend,
often gave him a place to sleep in between park benches and the ballpark. Dawn
was taken in by her school’s janitor where she also worked cleaning before and
after the school day to earn money. How many of
us would have taken in a homeless teen?
If we knew they’d end up on the news for getting into Harvard, would we be
more willing to take them in? There’s
only one good reason to do something for someone: out of love for God and our fellow
man.
When my husband and I took in a boy fromKenya, it was a risk. Two years later, his younger brother joined us—our tenth
child. There were no guarantees but in the end, these two boys immensely
blessed us; one is now in medical school and the other has a college running
scholarship. Both are wonderful sons. But they came without guarantees. However, I
believe God brought them to us because we opened our hearts to follow his plan. We were
no longer doing foster care or considering adoption, but I told God to let us
know if there were children he wanted us to take in. A missionary
friend asked us to take in the boys. Surely God took me up on my offer. In
the end, our family was humbled by the extent that we received far more than we
gave.
Get Fired Up!
There is no shortage of human
endeavors that inspire and amaze us. Sometimes it is the small and meek whose
littleness creates enormous waves of good will or accomplishments. There are the
hidden such as St. Theresa of Lisieux, a cloistered nun who became one of the
most well known saints of modern times, St. Margaret Mary who received the
Sacred Heart Devotion, and St. Faustina who spread the Divine Mercy messages.
There are many prayer warriors who we will never hear about who are making
miracles possible. It’s all about letting go and letting God throughout the day
and throughout our lives.
endeavors that inspire and amaze us. Sometimes it is the small and meek whose
littleness creates enormous waves of good will or accomplishments. There are the
hidden such as St. Theresa of Lisieux, a cloistered nun who became one of the
most well known saints of modern times, St. Margaret Mary who received the
Sacred Heart Devotion, and St. Faustina who spread the Divine Mercy messages.
There are many prayer warriors who we will never hear about who are making
miracles possible. It’s all about letting go and letting God throughout the day
and throughout our lives.
How many of us actually put our lives
in God’s hands and tell him, “Lead me on, Lord!” Getting fired up to change the world is of
no value if we do not first ask for the fire of the Holy Spirit to ignite our
hearts and lead us down the path God
sets for us. Otherwise, human enthusiasm is in danger of misinterpretation
when it stands alone. For whether we
save starving children, negotiate a peace plan between two countries, or take
our children to a fun day at the park is for God to decide.
in God’s hands and tell him, “Lead me on, Lord!” Getting fired up to change the world is of
no value if we do not first ask for the fire of the Holy Spirit to ignite our
hearts and lead us down the path God
sets for us. Otherwise, human enthusiasm is in danger of misinterpretation
when it stands alone. For whether we
save starving children, negotiate a peace plan between two countries, or take
our children to a fun day at the park is for God to decide.
In Mother Angelica’s book Mother
Angelica’s Answers, Not Promises she relates a time when she ended up
on the wrong plane and landed in California rather than her intended
destination in New York. “There was nothing wrong with the plane, it was a
perfectly good plane,” she recounted, “but it wasn’t my plane.” Likewise, there
is perfectly good volunteer work to be done but is it what God wants us to do? That is for him to decide and for us to ask.
Angelica’s Answers, Not Promises she relates a time when she ended up
on the wrong plane and landed in California rather than her intended
destination in New York. “There was nothing wrong with the plane, it was a
perfectly good plane,” she recounted, “but it wasn’t my plane.” Likewise, there
is perfectly good volunteer work to be done but is it what God wants us to do? That is for him to decide and for us to ask.
Even a bedridden person can make a
difference in the world given the power of their prayers, offering up
suffering, and showing love and appreciation to those around him. God has a
plan for us all, so get fired up and “Go
Make a Difference!”
difference in the world given the power of their prayers, offering up
suffering, and showing love and appreciation to those around him. God has a
plan for us all, so get fired up and “Go
Make a Difference!”
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From my friend Margy who couldn't figure out how to post herself:
I don't know how to blog so this is my answer to your article.
At our Adoration Chapel every Sunday afternoon, and if not on Sunday some day of the week, a young Dad brings in his 3 young children for an adoration hour. Together, he has taught them the rosary, reads them books about the saints and Bible stories. Last year one of the young boys was big enough to sign his name on the sign in sheet.and he was so proud that he could let me know that he came, This example is like the rock thrown into the pond. The effects of this young Dad has reached into the depth of my soul. I remember what Fr. Jim Shea said when asked what was one of the reasons you became a priest? He said my Dad taught me the Rosary and we prayed together in the fields. Sometimes we only need to take in our own children and give them a "HOME" What a difference a prayer can make.