The Happy Year of 2013

When I reflect on the days of 2013, I am full of gratitude for the many blessings in my life, especially my family and friends. Thank you for you! I smile to think of Starbucks on Sundays with my sisters, spending time with family, happy hours, catching up over lunch or a coffee with friends, church events, fellowship, service activities, coaching basketball and softball, playing Gaelic football with my family and awesome teammates, and a job I enjoy. I am so grateful. I pray God continues to open my heart to the many ways that he shares his love with me and the world, and that you may feel how much he loves you, too.

Some of the highlights from my year:

January: I did several media appearances on radio and TV for work. That was a pretty cool experience.

February:

• We found out Maur and Ryan were expecting a baby in October!
• I got a new car - the Elantra lasted nearly 10 years, and I was pumped to get a Honda Fit.

March:

• I went to Washington, DC for work to support my President & CEO, Bill Strickland, as he received an award from the Senate. Meeting him was the reason I wanted to work at Manchester Bidwell -- he knows the value of hope, and I get to participate in the mission of bringing hope to people. 
• I ran a mud race with Conor, Rory, Devin, and Ryan. 

May: 

• I began my 11th Gaelic football season. 
• I found out I was going to have a niece!

June: 

• I ran the Color Me Rad with Maureen, Devin, and friends.
• Our family had our annual Kite Weekend camping trip (32 years - thanks, Uncle Giles!).
• Maureen, Ryan, Devin, Emily, Alanna, Dan and I went to Rehoboth Beach.

July:

• Conor and I ran the Rukus and both did very well. Fun fact - the race fell between our birthdays so we were both 31 years old on race day. 
• Dan and I went to Lake Erie and Cleveland's Great Lakes Brewery.

August:

• Pittsburgh Banshees won the Midwest Division.
• Conor, my Dad, and my friend Erica and I did a duathalon.
• Banshees and Celtics began the National Tournament in Cleveland, OH. The Banshees had some big wins and we were in the Finals.

September:

Banshees defense and the cup

• Pittsburgh Banshees won the National Tournament! We are Junior B National Champions! 
• Dan and I went to Hilton Head, SC.
• We celebrated baby Nora's anticipated arrival with Maureen's baby shower.
• I ran a half marathon.
• Dan and I went to Cape May, NJ.

October: 

• I became an aunt! Maureen and Ryan had precious, healthy, and beautiful Nora Mae!
• Alanna, Conor, Colleen, and I ran the Trailapolooza race.

November: 

• Alanna and I ran the Zoozilla race. 
• I ran the Pittsburgh 10-Miler.
• Dan and I went to Niagara Falls.

December: Happy holidays with family and friends!

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm praying for you!

xoxo,
BG

Five Truths: Truth 5 - Solidarity

 

Solidarity

With the knowledge that we are all called to unity in Christ, we must reflect on our lives and see if
we are living up to the ideals of unity and following what Jesus taught us; he is the perfect leader.
What did he do? What did he say? How did he treat people? How did he call people to be their true
selves for the sake of his Kingdom? We have the keys to our Father's heavenly Kingdom. Do we use
them? With knowledge of God, we are called to follow Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the
Life.

Solidarity is our oneness with each other. We know we have dignity and identity, and we are called
to unity. True faith is transformative. Once we know and experience the love and mercy of God,
our hearts are transformed, and a faithful person lives a faithful life. We are called to be loving,
forgiving, and compassionate like Jesus.

In Jesus' time people who were sick or looked down upon in society were seen as sinners outside of
God's love and friendship. Holiness was thought to be achieved by adherence to church law. Those
who were outcasts were seen as being punished by God for their sin or the sin of their relatives.
The people of God wrongly kept the outcasts "in their place." Jesus showed us the right way to treat
others by always reaching out in compassion.

God is all good and all loving. People who are suffering are not being punished by God, as people
once thought and some may still to this day. God wants us to bring his message to all people so they
can know their real identity as his children and experience his love. Jesus went out and ministered
to the sick. He forgave sinners. He broke down the walls of rejection and brought everyone into
his love. He showed us that we need to expand our idea of kinship. We need to have solidarity with
those who suffer.

Who are those in our lives and in our world who are the persecuted, the suffering, the lost, the
lonely, the forgotten, and the judged? This is exactly who we are called to stand with in solidarity.
We need to open our hearts to the compassionate love of Christ and let it flow through us by the
Holy Spirit in thought, word, and deed.

Fr. Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit minister and author, recently wrote, "Jesus Christ jostled the purity code
of the shot callers of his day. He recognized that it was this code that kept us from kinship. The
desire for purity is the enemy of the Gospel.”

God's love is within us and in the good things around us. Let us live with open minds and open
hearts, ready to receive God's healing love and letting it pass through us to others. He calls us to be
his hands; he instructs us with the Word so we can share it with others. Lord, make us instruments
of your peace.

God, help us to seek Truth, and let your Truth transform our lives.

May you feel the love and mercy of God. May you know how dear you are to him and that you are
called to life in him. May you trust in his great love for you. May you be open to his call and the
wisdom of his love.

Grace be with you.

Five Truths: Truth 4 - Unity

Unity

Our diversity is how we build God's Kingdom and glorify the Lord, but we are called to unity in Christ.

We are a world of diverse people. Many have faith in Christian and non-Christian religions and some have no faith or reject faith. No matter who we are and where we come from, we are called to know God. We find him if we seek the Truth that stirs in our hearts. He is always calling us there and speaking to us through all things in our lives, calling us to know him and accept his love and mercy.

When God created the world, he called all of his creation “good” and it existed in perfect harmony. He gave humans stewardship over the earth, and invited them into an intimate relationship with himself. When the first people committed the first sin, which the Bible teaches with the story of Adam and Eve, it was a sin of disobedience; they chose their own will instead of God’s will. God gave his children everything and he instructed them to follow one rule, a rule that would help them be happy: do not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve were tempted and tricked by the evil one, and they chose to eat the fruit of that tree. They sinned.

This sin caused a separation from God and human beings, the children he loved. Life would have to change as a consequence of that sin. Harmony was lost and life would have hardships. But God was not without a plan. From the beginning of time, The Blessed Trinity made a plan that would save God's people. God the Son would become man, come to earth, and live a perfectly obedient life, following the will of God the Father. Adam and Eve's sin of disobedience, as well as our sin, could be redeemed through Jesus' life of perfect obedience. Sin would be defeated and humanity restored to God.

“He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed preacher and apostle and teacher.” 2 Timothy 1:9-11

God prepared people to recognize Jesus the Savior when Jesus came to earth. God's inspired Word spoke through the prophets, and through the prophets he instructed people in his holy ways and promised them that the Messiah would come.

At the appointed time, Jesus, both human and divine, came to earth as The Living Word and he taught people how to live a life that was pleasing to God. He had perfect obedience to the Father, and he trusted God the Father even to the point of death. Jesus was wrongly accused and convicted by powerful people who felt threatened by Jesus' message of radical compassion and inclusion. It challenged the status quo of his day. Facing death, he persevered in prayer. Jesus cried out to God asking him to spare his life and the suffering that was sure to come, if that was God’s will. God the Father did not intervene. Jesus submitted to the Father and followed God's will, the path that was laid out before him.

Imagine – It was the darkest of situations, seemingly the unjust end of Jesus’ life by those who
hated him, and yet he trusted in God's will. Jesus had said, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again” John 10:18. Jesus walked the hardest path and did not resist. He laid down his life for us. He had perfect obedience; he trusted in God’s will.

Three days later Jesus rose from the dead in fulfillment of the Scriptures. Jesus resurrected! From the darkest situation, when evil seemed to have won, God was triumphant! Jesus defeated death. Jesus conquered sin. Through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, light has prevailed! God offers himself as salvation to all. He has set us free from sin and death and given us new life in him.

Sin and evil run rampant on this earth. We see evil in the world and our hearts break. But, we have great hope! We know the ending of this story: Good wins! Jesus already defeated sin, evil, and death. He is our Savior! Sin and death no longer have a hold on us because Jesus lived a perfectly obedient life, he took all the sin of the world upon himself, he defeated death by death, and Jesus conquered death for us. We do not have to be strong on our own. We have Jesus. Call on him in your life. Ask him to drive out the darkness, protect you, and guide you to God. Follow him.

Do you want to find Jesus? Get to know him by reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Read about his years of ministry and see what he says. What is he telling you in your life today? Pray. Listen to the call God places in your heart and begin responding. God is actively pursuing you. Say back to him, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” 1 Samuel 3:10.

God knew you before all time began. He willed you into being for his joy and love. He called you to be his child. When he was on the cross, he endured it all so that you could be in heaven with him forever. He did it for you, for me, and for all people.

And so we are made by God, for God, in his image and likeness, called to be his children and live eternal life in his love. Our diversity is unique and special, and the gifts he gives to us are for his glory and our enjoyment, to have a glimpse of his love for us. And no matter who we are, where we come from, what our life stories are or how many times we have failed or succeeded in living on this earth, God calls us to unity through Christ. Let us be his children in one family with Jesus as the head.

"So then, remember that at one time you (people who never knew about God) were without Christ, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made us both groups (people who never knew God but now believe and those who knew God because their family passed on the faith) into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ...That he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross... So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father." Ephesians 2:11-18

We are one humanity, united in Christ who is all things. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, Amen.

Five Truths: Truth 3 - Diversity

Photo by Maur

 

Diversity

Our God loves diversity. Think of all the different people around the world, our races and nationalities, customs, cultures, and languages. Think of the diversity of plants and animals, think of the diversity in seasons, and the topography of the earth. God truly loves diversity and he uses it to show the beauty of his Truth, which is love and life in him.

God finds pleasure in our diversity as individuals. Each one of us is given unique gifts and talents that we are called to use for good in the world. Our diversity brings about a multitude of
ways to come to know him, live by his Word, and give him thanks and praise. Our diversity, and the
diversity of all creation, is something to be celebrated.

God also enjoys diversity in the way he calls people to himself. Everything is an entry-point to
come to knowledge of him. He uses books, nature, music, people, art, encounters with mystery –
everything! God loves diversity but he calls all people to unity in Jesus Christ.

Five Truths: Truth 2 - Identity

 

Identity

We receive our dignity from God. We also receive our identity from God. Our identity is not our
earthly lineage. We do not receive our personal value from worldly things. We have been created
by the God that was in the beginning is now and will be forever. We were created for eternal life
with God. We are first and foremost a member of God's family and Kingdom.

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ...you have received a spirit of
adoption. When we cry, 'Abba, Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we
are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ..." Romans
8:14-17

We are children of God and we are created to inherit his heavenly Kingdom. When God created
man and woman, he called them "good." When he created you, he called you good, too. We have
his goodness in our hearts and we have a heart that knows and cries out for the Lord. We are his
children, and if we are God's children, then we are heirs to the King. That's our identity!

Too often we seek to create our own identity because we do not know our value and purpose.
We seek to create our value through worldly things such as success, achievements, wealth, and
reputation. We are not these things! Our value, our entire identity is in God as his children. We
can do nothing to enhance our identity before God because we are his children and he loves us all
equally. He gives different gifts to different people to be used for building his Kingdom, and he calls
some to greatness for him and others to lives of simplicity, but we are all equal.

Therefore, do not chase worldly things that inflate your ego and false image of your own self worth.
That is not who you are. You are the good that God created you to be as his child for his Kingdom.
Seek your identity in Christ. That is who you are.  “It is not wrong to desire greatness, but our
greatness must reside in our passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ and our desire to share it with
others” (The Catholic Faith & Family Bible page 1367).

Five Truths: Truth 1 - Dignity

We live in a time that is in need of compassion and kinship. Everywhere in society we see the deadly
consequences of violence, greed, and injustice. But our souls have been created by God and made
to desire the good. I have seen and experienced acts of generosity and love that we show one
another, our children, our families, our neighbors, and strangers. I have seen actions that build the
Kingdom of God on earth: a society of equality, justice, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, and
love.

God desires us to know and love him, and to trust that his way is the way to happiness. He is always
pursuing each one of us in everything, beckoning us to choose and follow him. I have great hope in
the goodness placed in us by him and encourage you to listen to that voice inside your heart and
find the Lord calling you to something more.

"The word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe." Deuteronomy 30:14

"[the Lord says] I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts..." Jeremiah 31:33

I am one who also seeks, questions, wonders, and desires the good. Our lives are journeys with ups
and downs, clarity and obscurity, faith and doubt, hopefulness and desperation. I wish to encourage
you and lift you up as you journey. First, let us reflect on some of the truths: our God-given
dignity and identity, goodness in diversity, purpose of unity, and call to solidarity.

I once read that we are not judged as a summation of our good versus bad actions, as if it were
a tally of pluses and minuses to see which comes out ahead. Instead, what matters is the direction
of our lives. Do we repent? Do we forgive? Do we change our lives for the better and keep moving
forward? Let us pray that we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, grow towards the good, and seek
the Truth that leads to complete and eternal love. Let us pray that our lives are transformed by
God.

Dignity

 

Each person is made in the image and likeness of God, made for a relationship with the Blessed
Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, to grow in knowledge and love of the
Lord. We were created by God, and known and loved by God long before we were born.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." Jeremiah 1:5

We are the result of his loving and holy vision. God so overflows with love, the complete essence
of who he is, that he cannot help but do something with that love, and so he creates. And joyfully!
He wants us to have the smallest glimpse of his immense joy and love that he invites us to be cocreators with him. Parents bring live into the world, cooperating with God and his plan for creation
and life in him.

He chose to create you. He desires to make you complete by the love in which he wants to surround
you. In heaven, we join in the perfect love of the Blessed Trinity, and we are made whole. Our
purpose is in God. Our destiny is in God.

Every person is made by God and for God. Since we are all created by God, we are all equal, no
matter our lot in life. We all have equal dignity. Our souls are designed to know God's goodness and
receive his love. Praise you, Lord!

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord..." Luke 1:46

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name." Psalm 103:1

God is a God of Life

Photo taken by Maur at Lake Canadohta

Last week I was in Rehoboth Beach with my family. Early one morning I went on a run and came across the Rehoboth Art League and a little marina nearby. I went down to the water to explore. It was a beautiful morning with a blue sky and bright sun, and I stood on the wooden walkway looking out onto the wetlands and watched different types of birds flying around, swooping low along the water and then across the tall grasses.

In these quiet moments of pure awe of the beauty of nature, I was acutely aware of the life that was all around me. The abundance of life – below the water, on the earth, in the sky, birds, fish, insects, plants, trees – every inch was full of life. And I experienced the love of God the Creator and the joy in which He creates. God is a God of life. He loves to give life to things. Life is everywhere, big and small. God loves giving life!

Human beings are the only creatures created in the image and likeness of God, capable of knowing and loving God, and called to a relationship with God our Creator. Perhaps you have heard of the phrase and a few Scripture verses that say, “For to whom much is given, much is required.”  I’d say that we’ve been given “much”:  We have been created by and for God. We have been given divine life within us. We receive grace to grow in knowledge and love of the Lord. We can know God’s love for us by the fact that we exist and by understanding what Jesus did for us with His life, death, and resurrection. We can know God as a God of life.

We have been given much, and much is required of us. As disciples this means to share the Good News and the love of Jesus. How can we celebrate the God of Life? How can we be good stewards of His creation?

Come, Holy Spirit.

Can I transcend my own discomfort?

 from Google Images

I was thinking about how bad it feels to be sick. Whether suffering from a serious illness or a common cold, being sick can trap us in our own life and in our own discomfort, and it's really hard to think beyond our immediate misery. We just want to be well again; we don't want to feel bad anymore. The same can be said when we're hurt or dealing with emotional pain. And yet, there are amazing men and women who live with pain everyday, and they move forward in loving ways by transcending their pain and looking beyond themselves.

I am inspired by my friend, who I'll call Sara, who suffers from kidney disease, often needs to carry around an oxygen tank, and can't eat typical foods at get-togethers with friends. She is a loving aunt, a thoughtful friend, an insightful Christian, and a talented writer. She gives her life to God in her circumstances and cares for others. She has the courage and strength to live outside of herself. I wonder... if I had even a fraction of the suffering that she endures on a daily basis, could I do what she does?

Even though I thank God for the many blessings He gives me, how often I take them for granted. Oh, if my faith were to be put to the test... that is a hard thought!

In Wisdom 9, Solomon says, "for a perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful mind."

Blessed are they who suffer whose souls transcend their "earthy tents" as they raise their lives to God and live outside themselves. Blessed be Sara and everyone who struggles with illness, pain, and the many other burdens of this life, and yet live with love to build God's kingdom.

My bible has a teaching note that states: "When we choose to accept our suffering, God will transform this suffering into a positive witness." I am grateful for the positive witnesses in my life and in the world around me. Thank you, God, for their example. Help me to be more like them.

Stop the Fear

I was emailing with a friend about a change that she's discerning in her life -- she has moments where she's overwhelmed by fear. She told me I should post some of my email on the blog ... I hope it encourages anyone who may need it!

Your struggle with fear is a natural thing for many people. But, do not let your fear drive you. Fear, while good at times because it can help you identify something dangerous or risky, is not something that should make your decisions or guide your life. Fear is something that you should recognize and then deal with directly. You are in control; fear is not in control. Plus, love drives out fear. Light is more powerful than darkness. Fear makes us feel trapped and scared. But Jesus tells us that we don't need to spend time with those negative emotions because His Way defeats darkness and with Him we can overcome fear. If you are overwhelmed by fear, let Jesus drive the darkness out. I think that could happen even by you trusting Him to take care of you.

I recommend acknowledging your emotions, but if they are making you feel fear and aren't identifying anything new, you have to put them in their place and tell them to shut up:

"I hear you, fear, but I don't have time to spend with you. You only say the same things over and over again. I hear you, but I'm not going to sit here for minutes or hours letting you repeat the same few things. You have nothing new to say so we're done talking. I have stuff to do."

Acknowledge your fear and then put it in its place. We have lives in God's love that are made to overcome fear. Fear is a lie. Light and love are truth. Right now -- and always -- you're seeking truth, so let God help you cast out the fear.

Eventually, we have to take a leap of faith! Change is hard. I know you're praying for God to lead and help you in your decision, which is the best prayer. I hope you receive consolation that helps you move in a certain direction -- or even get an answer, that would be awesome! Most likely you will have to do your best to make a decision, even if you are afraid. If you leap, God is with you and just call on Him. Then go in trust; He will take care of you. Then your prayer can become, "Ok, God, I'm doing this. Please be with me and work it all out."

And lastly, God knows you, He loves you, and He delights in you! He knows this is hard for you, and He is so happy to support you and lead you through it. He wants to give you freedom from anything that is holding you back. Keep trusting in Him!

As you discern, make sure you base your decision on hope and not on fear. Fear is a lie. Fear is the opposite of love. Let love and light and hope have the power!

Love is Ready to Heal

Photo taken by my sister, Maureen

I previously wrote that I relate to Peter's (the apostle) story because I desire with all my heart to do God’s will, and yet there are times that I totally fail. I am reminded that Jesus always offers love and healing, and that despite all of my failures, He asks me to be a leader for Him. He desires the same of you.

Here's the deal: Peter was one of Jesus' best friends. At the Last Supper, Peter promised Jesus he would be there with Him through anything. Peter seriously meant it -- as Jesus was being arrested by the authorities, Peter cut off the slave's ear to defend Jesus. Then Peter followed Jesus when He was taken to be questioned by the high priest. But, when Peter is asked by a woman as to whether he knows Jesus, Peter becomes overwhelmed by fear, he freaks out and denies Jesus three times, and then he runs off, away from the scene. The next day, Jesus is put to death.

I imagine how Peter must have felt after abandoning his best friend and knowing that his friend, the Son of God, died a horrific death.

Three days later, we have the joy of the Resurrection, and Jesus begins revealing himself to the disciples. Again, I imagine how Peter must have felt to come face-to-face with the friend he abandoned. Peter's heart was probably overwhelmed with shame, regret, sorrow, and the feeling of complete failure. The pain he was carrying, the despair and disappointment he felt with himself -- all of that had been crushing him since the moment he realized he denied the Lord.

Jesus, our God, knows everything, and He knew Peter's pain. At the end of the Gospel according to John, we read that after breakfast with the disciples, Jesus pulls Simon Peter aside. The conversation went like this:

Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?
Peter: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
Jesus: Feed my lambs.

Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love me?
Peter: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
Jesus: Tend my sheep.

Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love me?
Peter: Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.
Jesus: Feed my sheep.

Jesus knew Peter's pain and gave Peter healing. Where Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times, Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me." Jesus lovingly offered Peter redemption, for Peter's sake. Jesus knew Peter's heart, He knew how the events would transpire, and He knew that Peter needed the healing that only comes from God.

God knows our hearts. He loves us as His children. He knows our brokenness, and He wants to heal us. Will you let Jesus into your heart so He can heal you and bind you by His love?