5 June 2022 Who Is It?

Hello to you. How are you doing today? I’m doing better. Just getting sleep, singing and praying more has been helping me. This morning I glanced at the news on my phone and after being mortified at someone suggesting the answer to ending gun violence in American schools is to arm children, I found a message that resonated with me from Pope Francis about discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/amp/news/251454/on-pentecost-pope-francis-explained-how-to-distinguish-the-holy-spirit-s-voice

“The Holy Spirit will never tell you that on your journey everything is going just fine. … No, he corrects you; he makes you weep for your sins; he pushes you to change, to fight against your lies and deceptions, even when that calls for hard work, interior struggle and sacrifice,” Pope Francis said in his homily on June 5.

“Whereas the evil spirit, on the contrary, pushes you to always do what you think and you find pleasing. He makes you think that you have the right to use your freedom any way you want. Then, once you are left feeling empty inside – it is bad, this feeling of emptiness inside, many of us have felt it – and when you are left feeling empty inside, he blames you, becomes the accuser, and throws you down, destroys you.”

Looking at my own personal journey, it has been a struggle at times. It can be very alluring to think about things like revenge and power. It can be easy to try and do and be everything of this life thinking it’s just your own power and attributes propelling you forward. Where does your life force come from? It’s not just eating, drinking, exercising, making love, socializing with family, pets and friends, going to church and praying, meditating, experiencing entertainments the world offers, having a career, doing hobbies, going to school, reading books and going to seminars – least not for me. Underneath all that I am and ever hope to be is a force greater than myself – God. Whatever label, whatever name the inner force is for you I caution you to it’s motives…..the “why.” Why comes before all the what’s!

Some lovely flowers from the walks yesterday- they smell so good!

Christianity. In Christianity, the word may have several meanings. Discernment can describe the process of determining God’s desire in a situation or for one’s life or identifying the true nature of a thing, such as discerning whether a thing is good, evil, or may even transcend the limiting notion of duality.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki

Discernment – Wikipedia

21 March 2021 Whisper

Hello, how are you? It’s Sunday afternoon as I write to you. So far this day has been kind of confusing. This morning I was guided to Proverbs 22:11 so I got out of bed and found it in my Bible and after reading it had to wonder why I was lead to it:

“He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend”

I asked one of my friends for his interpretation of what this meant and he said he thought it was about reputation and the company you keep. I just couldn’t see anything but the written word when I read it! May be the only reason I read it was for that very exchange I had with my friend?

Sometimes I wonder if I am trying too hard to hear God’s voice. I keep expecting a miracle or some large and grand gesture. May be the answer for my current circumstances can be found last night at church. The message was found in 1 Kings 9-19. It was about Elijah being in a cave hiding out and how God sometimes speaks in a whisper…..” What are you doing here, Elijah?”

For the past several months I feel like I have been in a sort of cave. I feel like I have been waiting to hear God’s voice to summon me out, “What are you doing there, Jackie?” I just have to be willing to “go from there” when it happens!

whisper” in the English Ordinal system equals 98 (no for eternity) “Louder God, Louder!”