I was giving a presentation from my book to a group of women and I asked them if they had ever been called a temptress. Eyes opened wide and I said – not a temptress in a sensual or sexual sense – most women have been called that – I’m talking about being called a temptress because you presented temptations to other people the way the devil presented them to Jesus when they were in the wilderness together.
Those encounters…..
What if you took 40 days to fast from self-loathing? It would be a wonderful form of self-discipline and act of repentance during the Lenten Season.
So many of us are in the habit of saying some very “not nice” things about ourselves and other people and even the Lord. Negative self-talk is a vicious circle that can destroy a person, a family, an organization, the world. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I include the world in the list…..
In the business of our lives, in our daily pursuits it is good for us to take time to think about what it is we are pursuing and why we are pursuing it. Think about all the things people pursue – degrees, positions, prestige, trophies and awards, career satisfaction, justice, peace and finally, relationship. Far too often people put the pursuit of relationship in last place.
I titled an earlier post “Worshipping the Living God in Lent” In John’s Gospel,…..
On Sunday we had a visiting Priest who said the following words in the early part of his sermon/reflection.
” . . . we are here to worship the Living God . . . “
Those words are still echoing in my mind and heart today. Along with them is an image etched in my mind – an image of the Crucifix hanging on the wall behind the altar, Jesus – Crucified on the cross, head hanging down, arms stretched…..
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A friend called me today and said June, you should read Romans. (We’ve had this conversation before and I knew exactly where she was going to take me – To Romans 1:26-27.)
I sighed and said, What do you want me to read? and she said Romans 1:26 & 27.
She read from her Bible and she said now read from yours. I said, “I’m getting so tired of…..
My heart cracked – again, for the millionth time – it broke when I heard a 20 something person say, “God hates me – I know it.” He shoved his hands in his pocket and looked down. “Really?” I asked him, “Why do you know this?” He looked up at me and said, “Because I’m a homosexual and two churches have told me that God hates…..
