Light Up The Room

800px-Sun_and_Clouds_001“Each should please his neighbor so as to do him good by building up his spirit.”  Romans 15:2

I have always liked, and tried to live by, the idea that when one enters a room others should notice, and that when one leaves a room those others should feel better about themselves than when one entered.  “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts, that we in turn might make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

We have all been around people who ‘light’ up a room.  They have a presence about them that cannot be ignored, a presence that others are drawn to, or repelled by.  It may be a warm, friendly aura, or an egotistical confidence, but we find ourselves captivated none the less.

All of us have His Light within us.  When we let it shine through us, when we radiate Him, others are drawn to us.  They see Him in us, and they want the same for themselves.  They want what we have.  This is the power given us by Him, the power to turn His Light on in others, to lead all to Him.

Light is a powerful thing in and of itself.  It chases away darkness.  It provides illumination to see.  It gives warmth.  When Light is of God, it illuminates the Truth of Salvation, and it brings the warmth of Peace that surpasses all understanding.

It is not as hard as one might think to be His Light.  It is a simple choice we make to spread love and joy rather than venom and gossip.  It is a simple choice to smile rather than frown.  It is a simple choice to see Jesus in the other person.

Think about the possibilities just within your own family, just with those you love.  When you walk in the room say something positive about them that lifts their spirit, that makes them feel valued.  It can be a simple ‘thank you for’ or ‘I like the way you…’  In other words, pay them some kind of compliment.  And, when you leave make sure they feel better about themselves than when you first came in.  If your children, or spouse, have been surly lately, it won’t be long before you notice a difference in them, in their attitude.  Share His Light and work wonders in your own environment, in your own little corner of the world.

Shining His Light to others we can literally transform our whole world.  When we feel good about ourselves we accomplish more, we are joyful, and pleasant to be around.  When we make others feel good about themselves, it is the same for them and the ripple effects are ever widening.

You are His Light.  You have an aura about you that radiates outward to others.  Make them glad when you come into the room and make them miss you when you leave the room!

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Unworthy, Yet Worthy

St Mark's Cathedral

Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Venice, Italy, 2012

In the beginning, in those first few months of entering into The Stillness, I often wrestled with the idea that He would choose me.  I found it hard to understand how I could maintain a matter of fact attitude, one where I listened or experienced and then calmly wrote down everything that I heard or that took place.  I constantly battled between feeling unworthy and actually being called.  Today I am sharing one of the earlier Journey Through Stillness entries that reflects exactly that.  Rather than quiet silence, I am talking in prayer directly to Him.  There seems to be absolutely no doubt in my mind that He is listening, and it sums up what I feel many others must feel. Like me, there are many who have had faith journeys that were hot and cold, on and off.  I have come to learn that it is only in complete surrender to all that is Him, do I maintain momentum along my journey.  When I fight to keep control, I find myself on a very bumpy road indeed.  In surrender, I realize that I am an unworthy sinner, and yet worthy to be called as only a child of God can be.  If you struggle with the idea that God would call on someone such as yourself, talk to Him, pray to Him for discernment and guidance.  Ask Him for greater faith and greater courage to follow His will.  Ask His help to learn to be still before Him.  He will hear and answer you; this I know.

From Journey Through The Stillness, Feb 21, 2010 How great your love that You would deign to talk to me, a speck, a soul amongst infinite souls, a speck of dust, a speck of nothingness.  How great my vanity that I would presume it.  I fear, Lord, that I am one of the lukewarm souls You speak of, or at a minimum, hot and cold, off and on.  I so want to be a soul on fire with your love every moment.  I want to be a soft place for you to land.  Do not drop me, Lord, for now I do not know how to pray without listening, and would be lost completely if I could no longer feel your embrace.  I know my unworthiness and I long to be that soul where your joy can shine forth to all.  Help me, Oh Lord, to learn your ways, that I might reflect your glory every moment.  Create in me that clean heart and kindle in me the fire of your love so I can carry out your every wish, for alone, I know I will fail.

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Lord, You Are The Alpha and The Omega

Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

Lord, You are the Alpha and the Omega.

Forgive me, Lord, when I forget that you are my beginning and my end; that all the in-between is just that.  Forgive me when I forget that my very existence is in your control.

Thank you, Lord, for your breath of life within me.  Thank you that I will be forever more in your control, that my name is written in the palm of such loving hands.

     Remember whose you are this day.  Without Him you are nothing.  With Him you are alive!  Your very existence is in His hands.

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The Peace Of The Lord Be With You

Taken in the Vatican Museum by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

Taken in the Vatican Museum by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

“The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’  He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.”  Luke 8:24

Today’s post comes from a paragraph in God Calling (A.J. Russell).  “What greater treasures can you have than Peace and Rest and Joy?  And these are stolen from you by doubt and fear and despair.  Face each day with Love and Laughter.  Face the storm.”

Focus on being calm, even in the midst of turmoil or chaos.  Call upon His Holy Spirit to help calm your fears, to remove your doubts, to bring you peace.  Do not let Satan rob you of the Peace that surpasses all understanding, the Peace that is yours for the asking, yours for the taking.  Not without effort, but none the less yours.

My prayer is that all is well with you, and hopefully, you don’t have to face too many storms in life or in weather.  However, when one arises, face your storm.  Be calm, be assured of His Love and Support.  All is well.  Say it; believe it; claim it.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you.

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Careless Words?

Achilleion Palace, Corfu, Greece, 2012- former home of Empress Elizabeth of Austria (taken my Martha Wiggins)

Achilleion Palace, Corfu, Greece, 2012- former home of Empress Elizabeth of Austria (taken my Martha Wiggins)

“I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”  Matthew 12:36-37

I have always found the above quote to be quite unsettling.  It is one I prefer to put far out of my mind.  First of all, I don’t really like to be held accountable, and second, if I am held accountable for some of my words, I am in big trouble.  It means change, growth, and self-control, all of which are often hard to go through or attain.  It means work on my part.  It means honest critique of myself.  It means biting my tongue!

I can honestly say that I don’t use words that are offensive to God, but I can’t say that I never say things that aren’t offensive to Him.  In fact, I often do.  I speak of others or their actions in ways that I think vindicate myself and my position on things, when in actuality it makes them look bad or wrong so that I can appear good or right.  The truth is, it only makes me look bad.

We all have habits that we tend to ignore because they mean work to fix.  However, if we really believed they meant the difference between heaven and hell, I am certain we would change them.  Hopefully, we don’t wait until it is too late. If our words will be our justification before God, I have a lot of work to do if I don’t want them to also be my  condemnation!  I have chosen to write this verse down on a sticky note and place it on the dashboard of my car to serve as a reminder before I open the car door and enter the world. Instead of shoving the verse from Matthew out of my mind, I intend to work even harder at keeping it in the forefront.

During Mass each Sunday at the presenting of the Gospel, the faithful trace the sign of the cross with on their forehead, their lips and their heart, saying, “Christ in my thoughts, Christ from my lips, Christ in my heart.”  May it be so with me, and with all of you this day.

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Partnership For Life

Bernini's Holy Spirit at Saint Peter's Basilica

Bernini’s Holy Spirit at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy, 2011

“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”  Jude 1:20-21

Sometimes it takes courage to act.  It is often hard to act on an idea or an impulse because we are afraid of what others might think.

With discernment we can learn to know which impulses are of God.  When we become aware that the urgings within our heart are of God, we will know it is okay to act without fear of judgement.  As we become in tune with God and His plan for our life, we embrace our journey with enthusiasm, eagerly awaiting the next impulse.

Learning to listen is the key; not only to our hearts but to the impulses of His Spirit.  Being in tune with God’s plan is to form a partnership with Him.  We consult Him before making decisions and we listen to what He has to say.  His Holy Spirit is always ready and willing to speak to our heart, to guide us to what is ours to do.

In partnership with God we reap the profits from our ventures.  We become healthy, whole, fulfilled, and joyful.  “May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15″13)  Realizing that our ideas, our impulses, are actually gifts from God, life can then be met with courage and anticipation.

Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we are lead to our highest good.  Therefore, every impulse from the Holy Spirit brings us another step closer as we are lead on a sacred journey growing ever closer to God, our Creator.  In partnership with God and His Holy Spirit, we step forward in confidence to be creative and live our life with passion.  We act on the good within us.  We are linked to our highest good.

This is a beautiful prayer to the Holy Spirit:  “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.  Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth.  O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations.”

“So as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”  Hebrews 3:7-8

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Self Love vs. Love Of Self

Taken in Vatican Museum, 2012, by Martha Wiggins

Taken in Vatican Museum, 2012, by Martha Wiggins

Self love, or love of self.  Most would say these two phrases mean exactly the same thing.  I have come to learn that there is a distinct difference.  I equate love of self with ego.  When love of self is in control I am focused on me: what I want, what I need, how important I am, etc.  When I exhibit self love I see myself through the eyes of God: a miracle of His creation, a reflection of His Glory, a child worthy of His Love.

Both can also create a raging war within us.  Our human self wants to control us, to be the center of our existence.  Our spiritual self must fight our human self to keep it from reigning supreme.  Satan loves our human self because he can easily manipulate it through its ego. He likes to see the war rage within us.

It is important to note that we must have self love before we can truly love others.  God commands us to love others as we love ourselves, an impossibility when our egotistical love of self is in control   Most of us have issues.  Whether they be about something in our physical appearance, our mental or emotional well being, or our personal life history, we react to and treat others from our own self perception.  If we see ourselves as most important, others will seem less important, whereas if we love ourselves as children of God, we will see others in the same way and love them as we love ourselves.

Self love, when channeled through God, is healthy, positive, and productive.  Love of self is self destructive.  Self love is God-serving.  Love of Self is self-serving, even Satan-serving.  We must choose wisely how we love and whom we serve.

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Promises Fulfilled

Dome of St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, 2012, taken by Martha Wiggins

Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, 2012, taken by Martha Wiggins

 “But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not ‘Yes’ and ‘No’.  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us–by me and Silas and Timothy–was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No,’  but in him it has always been ‘Yes.’  For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.  And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.  Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He annointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”  

The August 4th entry of God Calling, a daily devotional edited by A.J. Russell, reads:  “Draw into your beings more and more this wonderful Eternal Life.  It is the flow of the Life Eternal through spirit, mind and body, that cleanses, heals, restores, renews youth, and passes on from you to others, with the same miracle-working power.”

In this quote we read how Eternal Life promises cleansing, healing, restoring, and youthfulness.  Continuing to look more closely we see that it is the flow of Life Eternal through spirit, mind, and body that brings these promises to fulfillment.  And as an added plus, when we have Eternal Life flowing in and through us we become vessels of that Life channeling it from ourselves to others.  It truly becomes as miracle-working power in our lives and the lives of those we interact with.  It is truly amazing to reflect on all that means.  And yet at times, there can be such a big gap between achievement and fulfillment, we wonder if they are just empty promises.  They are not empty promises, they are just not so easily obtained without effort.

For most of my life it was my experience that I did all the talking in my prayer routine.  I prayed sincerely and fervently.  I had a good relationship with Our Lord.  It wasn’t until I became Still that I began to experience the flow of Eternal Life.

At first it was more of a mind thing.  I wanted, and needed so badly, a more personal connection that I believed it could happen and I willed it to be so.  I  was open to the possibilities.  As time went on my openness became Spiritual longing and anticipation.  This is when I believe Our Lord knew He had me, hook, line and sinker.  This is when my Journey Through The Stillness became less disjointed and the writings became more meaningful, more profound.  Did I doubt? Was I confused and a bit frightened?  You bet, but somehow, I willed myself to continue on to see where He would lead me.  It was then that I began to physically experience Our Lord and many other wonderful encounters.  He now had me mind, body, and spirit.

This journey was not something that happened in an instant.  It was a long time in the making through years of faithful prayer and preparation… His preparing me.  Even though my Journey Through The Stillness has undergone changes over its course, I can now look back and see these changes as necessary.  What was in the beginning was preparation for what is now.  I have experienced Him as I never imagined possible.  I am continually learning from Him how to move forward from these experiences and share all that He is with others.

He has blessed my efforts and He will bless yours too.  Be patient with Him for He has endless patience with you.  Go and sit before Him in silence believing in possibilities, expecting good things, but knowing you are a work in progress, unique unto yourself.  Do not compare your faith walk with mine or anyone else’s.  Instead, learn all you can through the faith of others and give yourself over to Our Lord.  He will reward you, if not right now, eventually.  He will put His Spirit in your heart as a guarantee of what is to come.

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Witness The Truth And Be Judged

Ruins at Corinth, Greece, 2012, taken by Martha Wiggins

    Ruins at Corinth, Greece, 2012, taken by Martha Wiggins

“Observing the self-assurance of Peter and John, and realizing that the speakers were uneducated men of no standing, the questioners were amazed.  Then they recognized these men as having been with Jesus.”  Acts 4:13

Peter and John, two of the most beloved disciples of Jesus, were entrusted by Jesus to carry His saving message out into the early Christian and non-Christian world.  They did so with great enthusiasm and conviction.

In doing so, they were judged by others.  Some judged them to be righteous men bearing witness to Truth, and thereby became believers in Jesus.  Others deemed them to be madmen, or fanatics, and made a point of steering clear of them lest they be judged like them.

There were also those who felt threatened by the power of such men and their ability to draw others to them. These were the high priests, the elders, the men with the power of governing. Feeling their own power and control over the people to be at stake, they would publicly confront Peter and John, trying to intimidate them and trying to silence their message.
Eventually, they had Peter and John arrested and brought before them in an attempt to discredit them among the people. Their plan, however, backfired.  Instead of stifling them, they found themselves dumbfounded, for these two unschooled, average guys had an answer for every questioned thrown at them, which is usually the case when a person wholeheartedly believes in everything they are saying, and when they have the Truth on their side.  Quickly realizing their mistake, the high priests issued an order that under no circumstances were Peter and John “to speak the name of Jesus or teach about Him.” (Acts 4:18)

Peter and John had an answer for that too.  “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight for us to obey you rather than God.  Surely we cannot help speaking of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)

God often uses ordinary men and women to accomplish great things.  In fact, most of the Saints were ordinary average people who suffered from the same doubts, failures, and struggles as every other human being of their time.  When we have seen, heard, and felt the loving mercy and forgiveness of Jesus; when we have been rescued from our sins, and been given the grace of Eternal Life with Him, how can we not help but speak about all we have seen and heard?

Most of us are just ordinary men and women who long to be faithful believers, faithful servants.  Most of us are willing to share Him, but many are unsure as to how.  We don’t have to be highly educated, or in a position of power to do so.  All we have to do is share with others how He has worked in our own lives, how He has made us whole.  In doing so, we may be judged by others as being overly religious, or even as being fanatics.  Some, however, will judge us as righteous witnesses to the Truth, and thereby also become believers in Jesus. And some silent believers, seeing our example, may even begin to speak out themselves.  Yes, we will surely be judged by others, but more importantly, we will also be judged by God.

Don’t be afraid to share all that you have seen and heard. Bear witness, be judged, and help others to share in the grace of Life Eternal.

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No Greater Heart

Statuary on the facade of the Duomo, The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy, 2012, taken by Martha M Wiggins

Statuary on the facade of the Duomo, The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy, 2012, taken by Martha M Wiggins

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.

One of the prayers I read daily as part of a Spiritual Communion (where you invite Jesus to come into your heart just as He would in the Eucharist even though you are not physically there to receive Him) is the following:

“O Jesus I turn toward the holy tabernacle where You live hidden for love of me.  I love You, O My God.  I cannot receive You in Holy Communion.  Come nevertheless and visit me with Your grace.  Come spiritually into my heart.  Purify it.  Sanctify it.  Render it like unto Your own.  Amen.”

     It always humbles me, for there is no greater heart than that of Jesus who sacrificed His life for my salvation.  There is no heart with a greater capacity for love than that of Jesus who allowed Himself to be tortured and crucified out of His never ending love of me.  There is no heart with a greater capacity for mercy and forgiveness than that of Jesus who took all of my sins, along with the sins of the whole world, and carried their full weight on His back.  There is no heart with a greater capacity for life than that of Jesus who allowed Himself to be nailed to the Cross of my sins so that I might live in Life Eternal with Him and God The Father.

     In this prayer I invite Him into my heart.   I ask Him to make my heart like His.  To ask this and truly desire it is a most humbling experience.  I must never pray it lightly.  To have a heart like His is to be purified, to be sanctified.  It will take time, and yet, if I am open to Him, it will happen.

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