Hope, Optimism, God and Writing

I was in need of a dose of hope and optimism today. I try not to read negative news stories because they disturb me but sometimes I do it anyway. A cousin I am very close to is undergoing chemotherapy and the side effects make her sick and that upsets me too.
So I needed an optimistic story and I found one. The article at HuffPost titled, "Formerly Illiterate Lobsterman, James Arruda Henry, Becomes Author at 98." That's exactly the kind of uplifting story I needed today. "Never give up, keep persevering, you can do anything at any age, if you keep trying." I need to be constantly reminded of that. I say affirmations all the time, I recite the psalms during prayer, but sometimes the problems of individuals and the world seem overwhelming.
But when you read about someone like James Arruda Henry who was illiterate and had to hide it all the while he was a lobster boat captain and how at 98 his self-published collection of autobiographical essays is now being read in elementary schools, you realize it's never to late to pursue dreams and to attain them if you work hard and stay the course.
He told the Associated Press, "I didn't think it was going to go too far....I couldn't read or nothing. I tell you it makes me a very, very happy man to have people call me and write letters and stuff like that."
There are so many happy stories of good people attaining dreams and that gives me hope for my dreams.
The other night when I turned on the TV, it was late and I switched to EWTN and there was Pope Benedict in Cuba. He looked tired as he should be at his age and yet amazingly he is doing so much good, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, even at his age. He's 85, still traveling and I thought to myself, "How wonderful that he can do that, still be so vital and share so much." I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. I was a child but it was a frightening experience to go through.  And there was Pope Benedict decades later bringing the healing Mass to Cubans and to the world. He brought the healing ritual of the Mass and his presence and that was enough.
"With God all things are possible." Optimism and hope, along with faith in God can bring light to the darkness in our world.
NJA

New Year, New Hopes, New Resolutions

Change is on the minds of a lot of people at this time of year. It's the beginning of January, a new year and a new decade lies ahead. As Christians, time is always filled with hope. I once read the following quote that I never forgot, "Hope is not an option for Christians, it is essential to our faith." A new year offers new beginnings, challenges, resolutions for positive growth and change and hope that all will be well. Abraham Lincoln said, "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."

Edith Pierce said this, "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

Those two quotes and others appeared in an online article of words of inspiration for the New Year in The Huffington Post-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/31/new-years-quotes-sayings_n_408147.html

I loved the quotes, I love quotes in general and so I got a little inspiration by looking online for others. I like this one too by Oprah Winfrey-"Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right."

The first Sunday of January of the New Year, was a frigid, windy morning in the Northeast. But it was also Epiphany and a morning to share with children what the feast means. For me, there is no better way to share the meaning of Epiphany than with children. So after the readings for the children, I asked the children sitting in front of me, "Who wants to be Mary, the Mother of God?" I had borrowed a few statues from the Church creche, with permission, of course. The baby Jesus and the Three Kings were in the small chapel where we gathered. And so I needed a child to kneel in front of the crib to act as Mary and a child to "play" Joseph. Two children came forward and I threw a fringed beige shawl that I had, over the little girl who knelt beside the statue of the baby Jesus. She was a perfect little Mary. And Joseph knelt on the other side. The statues of the Three Kings, bearing gifts, were behind them. I had also wrapped up gifts of "gold, frankincense and myrrh," so other children could bring those gifts and place them in front of Jesus. I told the children that the best gift they had given to the baby Jesus that morning, was coming to Church, in spite of the very cold weather. That was a sacrifice, leaving their warm, comfortable beds to get up for Church. And so on Epiphany Sunday, their presence was the best gift of all. Presence-wide-eyed presence and alertness is a great gift to God. 

I always make New Year's resolutions as most people do. Apparently about 40% of people make resolutions each year. According to experts, resolutions are good, because you're more likely to reach a goal, if you make a resolution. My resolutions are usually a combination of goals to improve my health alongside goals and resolutions to grow spiritually. Improving my health means exercising more and eating mindfully. My resolution to grow spiritually is to "keep focused on Jesus" and to "look to the Lord" for everything. That's it. Keep my gaze on Jesus....on where the Lord is leading me, what God's will is for me, praying to stay focused and that is enough. Living with the knowledge and hope that God is with me, guiding me and bringing my plans to fruition. If I keep up with my prayer disciplines, and keep focused on what's important then the year will unfold with many blessings and surprises. Hope is a beautiful thing. 

NJA

Epiphany is not only about "seeing" the light of Christ, but also about being changed by it.  (Msgr. Joe DeGrocco)

Hopeful Messages on Billboards

An anonymous donor from the East Coast who was getting depressed over the negative news about the economy decided to fund a billboard campaign titled, "Recession 101." The campaign began in June and now positive, hopeful messages are appearing on more than 1,000 billboards, including one in Times Square, NY. The billboard campaign seeks to spread optimism and hope. Here are some of the messages, Interesting fact about recessions.....they end. Another one says, Self-worth is greater than net worth. The overall theme of the messages is, "This too shall pass." 

In an article I read online by Kelsey Abbruzzese, an economist from the University of Rhode Island, Leonard Lardaro said that, "people shouldn't lose hope in a crisis and should instead look for opportunity, preparing themselves for other jobs or the economy's eventual turnaround....For people who are very capable and talented who lost their jobs, it wears away at you. It takes away your sense of worth which it shouldn't do. Don't think in a recession that nothing good can or does happen." After all, one of the billboards state, Bill Gates started Microsoft in a recession. 

I love the idea of posting optimistic, hopeful messages on billboards. I've often wondered why the Church doesn't advertise more on billboards. I think it would be great to have optimistic, hopeful, religious messages on billboards to encourage faith, belief in God and state the benefits of a prayer life, especially during trials or hard times. Belief in God gives people hope. Hope and prayer gives people courage and inner strength and enables them to look beyond the present time. Prayer helps and changes situations, especially when people are going through difficult times, prayer can be a great blessing and comfort. Optimism is good for the soul.

NJA

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit..........Romans 5:5