Unleash Your Power: Love's Ultimate Blueprint

Today! We're not just here to sit and listen, we're here to unleash the power within! Today's Gospel, Mark 12:28b-34, isn't just some ordinary Gospel readingl, it's a freakin' blueprint for a life of ultimate fulfillment!

This scribe, he's got the right idea. He's asking the BIG question: "What's the number one commandment?" And Jesus, he doesn't mess around. He throws down the ultimate truth bomb: "Love God with everything you've got!"

Not just a little love, people. We're talking ALL IN! Heart, soul, mind, strength – Everything! This isn't some passive, sit-around-and-pray kind of love. This is a primal force, a fire in your belly that drives you to be your best, to reach your full potential!

Picture this: I was advising this CEO, top of his game, millions in the bank, but empty inside. He had all the success you could dream of, but he was miserable. Why? Because he was chasing the wrong things! He was focused on the externals, the stuff, the status. He'd forgotten the core, the source of true power – his connection to something bigger than himself. Once he tapped into that, his whole life transformed! He found his purpose, his passion, his fire!

But here's the kicker: Jesus throws down another commandment, a one-two punch that'll knock you off your feet: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Boom! Think about it. You can't truly unleash your power, your potential, if you're stuck in negativity, in judgment, in resentment. Love, true love, it breaks down those walls. It connects you to others, it builds trust, it creates a force for good that can change the world!

This isn't some hippie-dippie, let's-all-hold-hands kind of love. This is about taking action, stepping up, making a difference! It's about forgiveness, compassion, and unleashing the best in yourself and others!

So how do we do it? How do we live this ultimate commandment? It's simple, but it ain't easy. It takes commitment, it takes discipline, it takes pushing yourself beyond your limits!

Love God? That means diving deep into your faith, finding your purpose, and living it with every fiber of your being! Pray with passion, study with intensity, and take action with unwavering belief!

Love your neighbor? That means treating everyone with respect, kindness, and compassion. It means forgiving those who've hurt you, lending a hand to those in need, and inspiring others to be their best selves!

Don't just sit there, people! Get out there and live this message! Unleash the power within you, and together, we can create a world where love reigns supreme!

Are you with me?

Abandoned & Afraid No More

I am going to come out and just say it. I am a couch potato and certain shows just grab my attention. Lately, I catch myself watching this one show on the Discovery Channel where a man and a woman have to survive 21 days in the wild with little or no resources. A few things scare me about my fondness of this show. One, I am fascinated with the premise of the show, but do not really understand why if you found yourself in the wild and had to survive I am not sure why you would be nude. Secondly, I might like to watch people choose to make themselves miserable.

 I really enjoy the show because it makes me reflect on my own. Face it. Life really sucks sometimes and situations in life can really make you feel miserable, confused, alone, and abandoned all without being naked and in the wilderness. Frankly, I just want to know how I can keep my head above water before I drown in all life’s stress and misery.

The one thing that has worked for me has always been prayer. Now, it is not for everyone, and I encourage you all to find out what works for you. I can only attest to my own experiences and my beliefs. Too many times, I have been so distracted in my own needs and wants that I placed God in the back burner only to find myself feeling miserable, alone, and afraid. However, when I remember to put God at the core of everything I do, there is nothing to fear.

Remembering to put God first is hard work. It is a constant daily challenge where some days I lose out to my selfishness. In Matthew 4:19, Jesus invites us into His way of life, which entails abandonment of a former way of life. That former life being where God was put on the back burner and God was placed second and our needs came first. We need to break out of our selfish shells and return to Him.  That is why, Jesus tells us to “Repent, for the kingdom is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) Because God has always been with us. We are not alone.  It has always been our choice to accept Him. It is important to remember that placing God first doesn’t mean that you will automatically become a millionaire or get that new car. It means that in whatever we do we choose love first and our needs last. It means taking the time to placing God in everything we do.

Loving Father,

Help me battle my selfishness today. Help me to shed away my former life and look to you as the focus my life. Help be mindful of your presence and love so that I can be your humble servant.

Amen.

God has no Favorites

As a child, I had a favorite toy that I brought everywhere. That toy was a teddy bear named Jeffrey. Jeffrey wasn’t my only teddy bear, but he was my favorite. I packed him up in my oversized backpack and brought him to school, to church, to restaurants, and most importantly, he was always there right next to me when I went to bed.

As I grew up, I spent less and less time with Jeffrey. I also moved him to his own little spot on my desk where he could read and watch me do my homework. As I entered high school, my father was cleaning up because we were having family coming over to stay with us for a few weeks. That day, I stood there and watched as Jeffrey was put into a cardboard box and shuffled up into the attic. If he was my favorite, why didn’t I keep him with me? Why didn’t I watch over him?

I think all of you notice it too. We live in a very great and awesome time, but with that greatness and abundance comes very scary times. The news networks report terrible things happening all around our world. Every channel or internet article focuses on new details about the Australian brush fires, news about protests and the brink of military war, and massive earthquakes crumbling our world like a puff pastry.

I watch all of this and ask. Is God still watching over us?

In Acts 10:34-35, Peter states, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”

God is always with us, but the true question we all need to face. Do we favor God every day? Do we place God at the forefront of our everyday living? From personal experience, this is a constant battle for me every single day. At different decisions I make during a course of a day, I know I somehow place God second to my impatience. For example, at the grocery store a new cashier opened up and said I was next. I noticed the person behind me had only a few things so I let her go before me. Of course, that she had to pick up the one item that needed a price check. Internally, I was fuming with impatience ready to burst into anger. It was so fast. I had placed God on the back burner. I had acted selfish and that selfishness got me all disturbed and worked up for really no reason.

This happens to us all. For some, many times a day at work or at home. The truth is when we place God, as our favorite things get easier. When we remember that He is with is in everything we do we can live with no fear. God is love and there is no fear in love. 

Loving Father,

Help us to put You first in our lives. Help us to favor love first and everything else second. Help us to keep the fear out of our lives so that we can only feel your warming love over us.

Amen.

Rediscover Faith

I love celebrating New Year’s. Not because of the ball dropping or spending time with family and friends, but rather the time I make sure to take to reflect on the past year of my life. I find the process sometimes yet refreshing and most times quite humiliating. Taking time to rediscover yourself takes courage, especially when we like to think we are truly better than we really are.

I know I have slacked so much with the goals of themindfulcatholic.com. I wanted to create a community of hope and inspiration to any who wanted to take the time to be a part of it. But, I also was facing a world of doubt.  Yes, I was doubting my faith in people, in myself, and more importantly in God. As I reflect now, I actually believe it’s a healthy process to undergo. Faith is a great power. However, faith is constantly challenged because there is so much social proof that contradicts its being. The thing is with faith you don’t need proof to have it.

So, as this New Year starts I want to turn the tables. I want to challenge myself in working in creating a community where in some way or another you, the readers, can be encouraged. That yes, we will accept that life can often be stressful, difficult, and humiliating, but we will have the faith to persevere through it all and perhaps we can get through it together. Let us also celebrate the blessings and wins of our life. If you are a parent, perhaps it’s when you see your child run to you as soon as they see you come from work and give you a great big hug, or perhaps you got the promotion or salary increase. I don’t think it has to be big win to celebrate. Small wins work fine too. Learn to rejoice in being kind to yourself. Quite often, are self-criticism can be too harsh that we make ourselves paralyzed to action. Inaction is the best way to lose faith in anything.

Everyone has a story. A story that is untold and kept within. Let’s begin this year writing our stories with renewed vigor and faith. Numbers 6:26 states, “The Lord look upon your kindly and give you peace!” I believe “peace” in this case means that God gives us happiness, good health, prosperity, friendship, and good vibes. Let us pray with “peace” over ourselves, our families, and all the neighbors we will encounter this New Year, this new beginning.

Peaceful Father,

Fill our hearts today with renewed faith and vigor in your love. As we go throughout our day today, let us be grateful of the blessings you provide us thus far, and let us share with others your loving peace with all those we will encounter. Let your love shine through me that it will help inspire someone else.

Amen.