He is the one my mother painted

This image brings a lot of memories back to me: I was a teenager and longed to see Jesus as more than just a law giver; I wanted a friend. I wanted a smiling Jesus, not a stern one. And this is Whom I found! --------------There was a stencil with a simplified version of with this image that my mother had and would use to paint many variations, all with that smile of His and those eyes! ---------------I look back at my memory--I know we all see Him in different ways--amazed at the usefulness of a stencil. It is a way, a simplified way fixed for us to be able to "paint" better than we could without.-------- We could learn a lesson from stencils: as long as the stencil (the Truth) is used, the variations are different angles of the same Person. It is when we go off and "invent" Him that we end up with distortion. --------------The stencil is helpful, necessary to getting it right each time. Boundaries are limits that keep the original intent in mind. "This is what I want to accomplish. If I go beyond that, I am doing something else. I can, but then I need to acknowledge that I am going somewhere else. My boundary shows me--shows others--what I am aiming for." ------------I want to use stencils.

Not necessarily literally. I mean figuratively. ----------------My best explanation of Mary is that She is God's model of what He offers to each of us: He calls us each by name, each with a mission, each supported at every moment to live that life, each with the ability at every moment to say "yes" or "no" to it. ----------------If we want to follow Jesus, the best way is the one He gave us... having a Mother--a stencil--John 19:26. "He directs her to look upon John as her son: "Behold him as thy son, who stands there by you, and be as a mother to him." We also know from Scripture that we are called to see ourselves in it; in this case, to see Mary at the foot of the Cross being asked to be our mother and mentor. We are called there to take care of Her. For He is entrusting Her to us. ------I am to be Her daughter. She is to be my mother. He made it so. I can say "yes" or "no." --------------It was my mother who taught me this. With words, actions, and painting... Gracias, Mama!

The Passive Way

I like silence. I can think in it. I do not like feeling alone. It makes me feel stuck. -----I like to be passive. I must. Since I do it a lot. Wait... it makes me feel stuck too! --------------------------------How about being active! That would be a whole journey, day by day... And that is how I can do what I say I want to do--to stop approaching my passions in a passive way. ------------------I have been drawn to cake/cupcake decoration. I got some info on it, some tools to do it. And I have not done it!

So, I am just waiting. Waiting for inspiration, time, motivation, someone else to encourage me, push me, join me. ----------------Today, I will imagine you are encouraging me and joining me. It is Halloween! We can make cupcakes, cakes, make time for some passion. ----------I encourage you! I join you! ----For in the end, it will be tomorrow. And you want to do today what you expect of yourself tomorrow ;) (Hint: to be a writer, to be happy, to reach out, to be a saint) --------------------------Blessed Saint's Day a bit prematurely :)

Stand beside her and guide her

Post by Bea Quindlen.

God bless America and help us with each step we need to take to live as He asks.