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Hello Folks, I hope this post finds you all well. March is finally here and we can all celebrate making it through this cold snowy Ottawa winter. Hang on, spring is close by. Perhaps it’s time for a little bit of spring cleaning !!

For those of you who find yourselves still dwelling upon your difficult pasts, in marriages, or perhaps your upbringings which may be haunting you of past hurts, I thought I would focus upon 3 “Food for Thought” ideas to help you continue towards your own journey of healing this spring.

The first “Food for Thought” is: Choosing your Heavenly Heritage. Joel Osteen says, in life, we all have some negative circumstances in our lives that we must face. Some people were raised in an environment where people have addictions, low self esteem, depression, poverty. Some people have parents or former spouses who have issues and now, as adult children, or as ex- husbands or wives, it’s making their lives more difficult.

When we decide to invite the Lord into our lives, to guide us, to walk with us and give us the clarity and His truth we need in facing and dealing with our problems, our life decisions, we have all of a sudden given Him permission to give us a new heart, a new perspective. In other words, our blood line changes. We are no longer subject to our natural family line. We become subject to our Godly heritage.

With our Father in heaven, His son Jesus, our Mother Mary and our special advocate the Holy Spirit, these 4 become our best friends, our Godly family, who always want what’s best for us. We are no longer subject to our natural family line. Their spiritual blessings override curse in the natural realm. When you understand who you are and whose you are, it won’t matter how you were raised, or what someone did or didn’t do for you or to you, you won’t stay bitter. That chip on your shoulder can disappear. You can realize that nothing can stop you from fulfilling your God given destiny. Remember, our God breathed life into you. When you choose God, his son Jesus, our Mother Mary and the Holy Spirit, you are choosing your Godly heritage to influence your life from here on in.

The second “Food For Thought” is: Take Time to Reflect. In people’s busy lives, they often say, “I don’t have time to think or concentrate on God when I’m inundated with noise and to do lists all day long”. It can be harder to hold onto peace when we don’t make time to read God’s word. God doesn’t often shout to get our attention. Instead, the bible says that He speaks in “a still small voice”. (1 Kings 19:12) which means we need stop and listen closely. What can you do to put yourself in a position to hear God’s voice?

The key is to make time daily away from your own busyness and distractions. Start in the morning, get up 10 minutes earlier and give Him 10 minutes of your undivided attention in prayer. Find a room in your home, outside in a park, find your special place to spend time with Him. Relationships need time and attention, it’s no different with God.

As you spend time with Him, He will renew your spirit and restore your peace. If you do this first thing in the morning, people often have told me that they end up having a much better day.

Maybe He’s telling you it’s time to work on bettering your significant relationships. Perhaps He has a different career path or job opportunity for you. Maybe the Lord is just encouraging you to develop a positive attitude or healthier habits. Is God asking you to step out of your comfort zone? You can’t stay in a safe zone all your life and expect to fulfill your highest potential. Be bold and willing to do something out of your usual routine that honours God in a greater way. When you take the initiative to move from the “safe zone” to the “faith zone”, that is when God will move on your behalf and begin to do great things in your life. Just ask Him what he wants you to concentrate on.

Today’s third and final “Food for Thought” is to: Revive Your Joy”. Take time to write down all the things that God has given you and does for you each day. When you take your mind off of your problems for a moment and begin to look for His goodness, you will quickly discover that He is already working in your life. Finally, be thankful. Take a moment each day to thank the Lord for all He has done for you. This is so simple, yet so easy to forget. I, as well, need to remind myself to be greatful and thankful for all that God has given to me.

When you develop a thankful heart, you are changing your focus on how big your problems are, to how big your God is. Here’s a short prayer for you this month.

“Dear Lord, I thank you for your life-changing power and unconditional love. I want to give new life to my relationship with you by keeping a record of blessings and answered prayers. Continue to guide me in my life’s circumstances towards what you know will be best for me. Help me to always seek your wisdom and truth and enlighten me with the clarity and motivation I need to move you the direction you are leading me. I give you great thanks for your work in my life”.

Some of this is taken from Joel Osteen’s Today’s Word. Have a great rest of the week everyone and I’ll be in touch in April. God Bless, MJ. xo

MJ

MJ

Program Facilitator

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A program of spiritual friendship and healing for separated and divorced catholics

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary

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