Living Unfiltered for God

Today, we are going to finish our discussion of St. Francis of Assisi's Peace Prayer. The last few posts have been spent looking at how it would look if we actually lived our lives they way he suggests in the first half of this prayer. What would it look like if we actually sowed things like love, pardon (forgiveness), faith, hope, light and joy into the world and the lives of those around us? We decided it would take looking like we're living life counter-culturally; living in a way that is not necessarily the norm for today's society. Today we will look at the second half of the prayer. To me, the unasked question that is begged is, " What are you seeking? " O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive,  it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,  and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. As I read t...

One of the wonderful things about this time of year is hearing stories about about how people have helped out strangers, folks they don't know but who are struggling, with gifts or their time or other help of some sort. The Christian radio station we listen to has a program called " The Fish Christmas Wish " that gives people an opportunity to help someone or some family in need this time of year. They will sometimes share the stories on the radio, occasionally even the recording of the conversation when they let the individual know what someone is going to do to help them. I will confess that on more than one occasion I have been in tears listening to these stories as I drive in my car.  What makes these stories great, in part, is the way it motivates you to want to help someone else. They make you want to "get in on" that spirit of giving and of helping out. I truly believe that if you are fortunate enough not to have a need like this, then you are in a ...