Posts by lifesjourneyblog
Rest Stop (Holy Saturday) … grief, hope, faith
Holy Saturday, the day after the death of Jesus, Christians await, in hope and in faith, for God to show us a sign that Jesus is truly His son. When we think of the emotions of the followers of Jesus, so sure that He was the savior, to experience His death, their heartbreak and confusion must’ve been unbearable! Were they duped? How were they so wrong to think that Jesus was God? Yet, because of everything that they experienced while with Jesus, there still exists a sense of hope in their hearts. They don’t yet understand, and they are questioning, but they haven’t yet fully rejected the belief that Jesus is the son of God.
Taken from the Christian prayer-book “The Liturgy of the Hours”, here is an ancient sermon attributed to Easter yet prayed on Holy Saturday. What does this sermon says to you in your life’s journey:
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Rest Stop (Good Friday) … love
Love; the complete and selfless giving for another; a desire to allow the other to shine and to grow. On this day, Good Friday, Christians recall Jesus, who out of love, willingly gave Himself to suffer and to die so that we may shine and grow. Jesus, the night before, agonized and prayed over this decision of suffering and dying, hoping for another way to carry out our salvation. But in the end, in response to the message Jesus hears in prayer, He says “not my will, but Your will be done.” In trust, faith and love Jesus freely suffers and dies for us.
How do we express love for others? Do we, in faith, trust enough to share our love? When we are suffering and find life difficult, in faith do we turn to Jesus who not only suffered, but who also found life’s situations difficult to endure?
Today, in faith and trust, knowing that Jesus understands what it’s like to make difficult decisions, to suffer, to feel physical and emotional pain, and to love, do we turn to Him in prayer and ask for guidance, for strength, for hope, for peace, for …..
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Rest Stop (Holy Thursday) … forgiveness from betrayal
The Last Supper by Da Vinci
As I mentioned in my earlier post, Holy Week is a spiritual time for me filled with much emotion. The apostles who followed Jesus gave up their livelihood and families to follow a person whom they hoped was their longed-for messiah; the savior of the Jewish people. After spending much time with Jesus, the apostles experience the awesome high of walking into Jerusalem with the crowds praising the man they are following. Imagine how they felt, knowing that they are with an important person, and they are one of only 12 selected personally by Him! Think of how this would make you feel. But then come the events at the end of the week that will change their lives forever.
The night of Passover, as Jesus dines for the last time with his apostles, we learn that one of the selected twelve, Judas, will betray and hand over Jesus to the authorities, and Peter will deny, not once but three times, that he knows Jesus. The rest of the apostles, the closest friends of Jesus, flee and hide. Think about this … one of Jesus’ closest companions turns Him over to be arrested; His selected leader, Peter, will deny ever knowing Him; the rest of the friends run away; at a time when Jesus needed His friends’ support the most!
Historically, around the year 33AD, the Roman Empire ruled the known Western world including Jerusalem and the Jewish people. Over time, as the apostles slowly come to an understanding of Jesus as the Son of God, they long for the day that He will save them from the Romans. This was part of the reason for Judas’ betrayal, to force Jesus’ hand into fighting the Romans to whom he turned over Jesus. Neither Peter nor Judas understood that Jesus was a Savior of souls, not a conqueror of the Romans. The freedom Jesus brings is an inner freedom, not a physical freedom. Therefore, when Jesus is arrested and neither He nor the angels come to save Him, the apostles become scared and confused.
Put in the historical context it is a bit easier to understand why Peter, although not fleeing the scene like the rest, denies knowing Jesus. It is not necessarily to betray his friend, but out of a sense of fear and confusion. Peter doesn’t want to be arrested, too. Peter is scared and confused.
Jumping ahead in the story, after the resurrection of Jesus, He finds Peter to reconcile with him. He allows Peter the opportunity of forgiveness, but not just a simple “I’m sorry”, but a deeper reconciliation based on love and compassion. Jesus approaches Peter not to reproach him for his denial, but to simply ask Peter if he loves Him. Peter responds with “yes, you know that I love you.” Can you imagine the emotions Peter is experiencing?
Personally, a song from the early 1990’s by the rock band Savatage seems to sum up the emotional exchange of Jesus and Peter during their reconciliation. The song, “Believe”, was not written for this purpose, but it speaks to me in a way of framing the depth of the emotions felt by Peter and Jesus as Peter is asked if he loves Jesus. This is the verse from the song which I attribute to Peter’s words to Jesus. As you read the verse, place yourself in the scene of Peter, confused and afraid, ashamed and embarrassed, standing before the risen Jesus:
The refrain of the song, which I attribute to Jesus responding to Peter, is both powerful and comforting:
On this Holy Thursday, let’s reflect on:
- Trust. How can I trust even when I don’t fully know the person or the situation? What can I do to get a better understanding when events happen of which I am unfamiliar?
- Forgiveness. Holding onto resentments and anger led both Peter and Judas to depression and despair. How can I learn to forgive others, and truly move on. How can I learn to forgive myself?
- Love. How can I truly love another even when they disappoint me? How can I try to more fully understand their context and what is happening in their life. Can I embrace them as Jesus embraced Peter?
Life is not easy; but by placing ourselves into the drama of the apostles and Jesus during this critical week in their lives can give us guidance and teach us lessons.
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Rest Stop (Palm Sunday) … the start to an emotional week
Today, for Christians around the world, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the days leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Spiritually, Holy Week has always been a special time for me as this week is a high point of much emotion in the life of Jesus, His early followers, and for me. In my personal spiritual journey I try to understand what it was like living in the time of Jesus. I read historical books as well as the Bible in my attempt to more deeply understand and feel the emotions of the people of the time. In my effort for a deeper and closer relationship with God, I immerse myself into the Bible stories, trying to feel what they felt; experience what they experienced. This week, Holy Week, is a recollection of not just an ancient story, but a retelling of real events which happened to real people who lived real emotions, real feelings, and real experiences.
Our challenge this week is to enter into the emotions of the apostles and the bystanders as they experienced the events leading up to the betrayal, arrest, death and later resurrection of Jesus. The emotions of this week begin today, with the joyous celebration of Jesus entering, as a beloved hero, into Jerusalem. Later this week the joyous celebration and exaltation of today becomes the confusion of Thursday as one of their own betrays and hands over Jesus to the Romans to be arrested. Quite quickly the feeling of confusion turns to fear and depression on Friday when Jesus is tortured and later killed as a common criminal. Jesus, for whom they left family and jobs, is now dead, betrayed by one of their own! Three days later comes the bewilderment and hope as news spreads of Jesus’ resurrection Sunday morning!
As this week unfolds I will share with you my reflections and feelings of the events of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. I invite you to join with me in my spiritual journey this week. Share with us your reflections and emotions as you journey through this holy week.
My challenge for today:
- What can I do to more deeply understand the emotions and reactions of the apostles as they triumphantly enter Jerusalem?
- What can this week teach me about my faith life?
- How do I hope to have my life changed by this exercise of delving into the emotions of the stories of this week?
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Rest Stop (Sunday) … coping with the time change
Last night, many of us in the United States turned the hands of time ahead one hour as we are entering the period identified as Daylight Savings Time. Our ability to change time prompts a few questions for me, some mundane and some a bit more philosophical. But, to stay grounded I will refrain, for this post, from discussing the abstract philosophical notions of time. Rather, I would like to reflect on this day in two specific ways, namely, how do we take advantage of our “extra hour” of daylight, and, what does time mean in our own lives.
I am certain many of us have had life experiences for which we have wished we could either turn back time or move time forward to change particular life events. There are times that we wish we could have back to cherish again, to say something different, do something different, or to have never had happen in the first place. But, regardless of our ability to change clocks, we do not yet have the ability to go back in time. Therefore we struggle with our personal feelings of resentment, disappointment, anger, sorrow, etc.
But, all is not lost. Even though we cannot go back in time to change the event, we still can change our current feelings about the event. In our reflection about past events, what can we learn from them? What steps can we take to avoid a future repeat? Do we have the opportunity to “make peace” with those from our past? If so, do it now. We aren’t able to change the event from the past, but we can change our response and thoughts now, in the present moment. We do not live in the past nor should we dwell there. But the past provides us tools for us to learn and to grow in the present moment. Wisely use the tools your past provides you. What you do today becomes your past tomorrow.
So, what do I do with the time I have been given? Here are some of my thoughts:
- Sleep. Rest is vital for a healthy mind, soul and body.
- Spend an hour in reflection on your past to use as a guide as you plan your future.
- Use the time for reflective journaling.
- Write to a friend or family member whom you have not recently contacted.
- Do something you typically don’t have time to do, like taking a walk, observing nature, reading a book.
- Spend quality time with the people closest to you.
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Rest Stop (Leap Day) … 5 tips to make it unique
Today is a day which only comes around every 4 years! Today, “Leap Day”, exists to correct the scientific calculations of our current western calendar. But, I’m not writing about the scientific reasons for this day. Instead, I imagine great possibilities that this extra day provides us.
I tend to look at this day as a gift given us to be used wisely. I figure that a day which only comes around every 4 years deserves to be treated in a unique and special way. This day is not like any other day, although I fear most people don’t recognize the uniqueness of this day. Why is it that a day which happens only once every 4 years becomes overlooked by most of the population? Personally, I don’t have an answer to that question. But the answer is not as important if we now come to the realization that we have been given a unique gift in this day.
So, we need to celebrate this day in a special way! This is extra time given to us in our very busy lives. What shall we do with this gift?
- My first suggestion is to acknowledge the specialness of this day, understanding that today is a gift given to you.
- Make a list of the top five things for which you are grateful. Set aside a specified time today to acknowledge your gratitude.
- What one thing do you typically not have time to do? Write down the time that you will do that one thing today. If your one thing cannot be accomplished today, then begin to work on preparations to make that one thing happen soon. Use today as your extra time for those preparations.
- If you don’t regularly meditate, set aside a time today for at least 10 minutes of quiet meditation. If you are unsure how to meditate, either do an internet search, or check out my website which has suggestions.
- Do something special for yourself which you normally either would not do, or do not typically have the time to do.
If you happen to see and read this post too late in the day, or not even on the day, don’t fret. These suggestions work on any day as long as you have the motivation and the desire to make them happen. Please share with us what you were able to do, or if you had any difficulties in making this day special. We will learn from each other.
Happy Leap Day!
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Rest Stop (Thursday) … mindfulness meditation works
As many of us spend much of our time rushing around, we don’t seem to have the time for meditation. I often write and speak about the importance of daily meditation, understanding that there are more of us who want to meditate than actually do meditate. Good intentions; I know, I’ve been there.
One of the rationales I hear from busy people is “I would take time to meditate if I knew it would help me, but it’s just a fad, right?” If your definition of a “fad” allows for the practice of meditation lasting thousands of years, than yeah, it’s a fad. I believe that our culture sees meditation as a “fad” because it is “new” to our culture, and the practice of meditating has been relegated to the “new age” genre. As such, some don’t feel the desire to try something that will “eventually go out of style”.
But what if mindfulness meditation were scientifically, and medically, shown to be healing and transformative? A few months ago I shared with you a study from Harvard which demonstrated that meditation generated new grey matter in the brain. Well, we now have the results of a study done at Carnegie Mellon University which “for the first time shows that, unlike a placebo, it [mindfulness meditation] can change the brains of ordinary people and potentially improve their health.” This is what the authors of the study wrote:
Click here for the link to the New York Times article summarizing the study
Click here for the link to the actual research article
Please share with us your thoughts on this topic, and if you practice meditation, do you find positive health results?
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Rest Stop (Valentine’s Day) … love is an action
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Heart Cloud (credit: unknown)
Today, as many of us celebrate Valentine’s Day, our thoughts turn to love and those whom we love. But do we really understand what that simple, yet very powerful word, LOVE, means? This four letter word holds power, and not just power over our emotions, but also power over the prospect of world peace.
So what does this word mean? Personally, this is a tough word for me to reflect on since my natural inclination is more toward the intellectual pursuits not understanding my emotions. Yes, as a counselor I deal with emotions, but note what I wrote: “my” emotions. I have no issue in helping others to come to an understanding of their own emotions and how they affect their lives. But my emotions, well, that’s a whole different story.
So, what is love? This is what the Christian bible states about love:
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Rest Stop (Ash Wednesday) … letting go
Today, Christians around the world will receive ashes on their forehead as a reminder that we came from dust and will once again return to dust. Therefore, “Ash Wednesday” is a time to pause, reflect on our lives, and make plans to remove from our lives those aspects of ourselves which do not lead us closer to our God.
The practice of pruning our lives of those areas which are not healthy or which take us away from our inner-peace, produces a sense of humility as we realize that we are not perfect, but that we have the ability to learn from our imperfections. Letting go allows us to be true to ourselves, and open to the guidance of others.
There are people who exemplify humility, and for me, the ideal example comes from Saint Francis of Assisi. He was a wealthy son of a powerful merchant father, who, after gaining personal insight, gave up everything to live in poverty and to serve the poor in the spirit of Jesus. It wasn’t simply the giving up of everything that made Francis humble; it was his attitude and way of living. In the book “The Way of St. Francis: the Challenge of Franciscan Spirituality for Everyone“, author Murray Bodo, OFM writes:
In other words, living our lives focused on our values, and in a true sense of a love of neighbor, will keep us grounded (humble) and focused on our priorities (simplicity). Today’s closing prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours morning prayer nicely sums up what I am saying: “Change our selfishness into self-giving. Help us to embrace the world you have given us, that we may transform the darkness of its pain into life and joy.”
What can we do to help us attain humility and simplicity?
- Spend 10 minutes each day in quiet, focusing your thoughts on simple phrases and your breathing.
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Spend time watching and reflecting on the nature around you. Do you see the ant, flower, bird, leaf, dog, cat, etc. What are they doing?
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Make a list of your life’s priorities. Those items at the top of your list need your full attention. The rest, well, decide what is necessary and what is merely clutter in your life.
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Help others. Love your neighbor.
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…. a thought from Chris Shea:
My goal, and the mission of “Lifesjourney”, is to guide us toward finding self-awareness and inner peace. I encourage us to view our lives from varied perspectives trying to find what daily practices strengthen us along our journey.
Lifesjourney’s philosophy for finding inner peace lies in two basic concepts: keeping our thoughts on the present moment, and practicing some form of daily meditation.
“Mindfulness” is a word I often use in my writings, on my social media, and a concept I use with my clients. One of the pioneers in the mindfulness movement, Jon Kabat-Zinn, defines mindfulness as:
“a means of paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”
Personally, the two key phrases in this definition which I feel are important are “on purpose” and “nonjudgmentally”. To find our inner-peace we need to consciously make the choice to spend time every day focusing our attention on what is happening around us and within us. Our focus is not meant to judge what is happening, just to notice it. As we become aware of our surroundings and our inner self, we will become aware of life’s joys and potential. In our state of focused awareness, we are enabled to see solutions; to see hope. 
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