We hope your week is out of this world!
We made a rocket ship cake.
Someone needs to hear this.
Churches often teach about selflessness and living in service to others. Unconditional Love can be a tricky thing to understand. As I sat listening to a mass this weekend, it occurred to me that the words could take on a very different meaning to someone in an abusive relationship.
Healthy relationships have boundaries. Loving someone does not mean you need to stay with them when it undermines your own self-esteem. Walking away is not anything to feel guilty about or ashamed of. Setting boundaries and sticking to them does not mean you love people any less. You can love someone from afar. You can love yourself first.
I looked up the Catholic Church's' stance:
There's a lot of information on how to identify abuse:Honestly, the days keep rushing past in a blur and I'm hardly able to remember what I had for breakfast, let alone the entire week's worth of happenings. Most of the time though, something stands out. Some thought or memory bubbles up through the murky fog and lingers on my mind. This week, it was a passage read at church. I believe it was James 2:14-26. I hope that you'll appreciate the point, even if your Spiritual practice differs. It's all about faith and action (works).
"My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, you shouldn't just say, "I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat." What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!"- James 2:14-17 (Contemporary English Version)
How many times do we wish others well and even pray for them as indicated by our emojis online? How many stories or posts do we "like" or "care" about? Then what do we actually DO to ease someone's suffering? Obviously we have a limited amount of time and resources, but I'm challenging myself to commit to more action than a simple click.
We don't have to make a spectacle of it to be effective. Maybe we can make a small donation to a cause. Maybe we can make a phone call. Maybe we can take a little time to learn about the subject of interest. We can DO something. We can help someone.
Here's wishing us all an opportunity seized! Here's hoping we all are able to feel good about an action we take, to make someone else's world a little brighter.
Blessed Be!
Love,
T
What a great time I had with Rick James' Original Stone City Band this weekend! They always bring a smile. I absolutely love the whole SCB family. What an amazing group of beautiful and talented people! It's truly a Blessing to know them and an incredible honor to be with them on stage.
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| With Mark |
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| With Lanise |
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| With Oscar |
There was a lot of driving for me this week, but we are finally home and looking forward to getting settled back in. Maybe I shouldn't speak too soon though, because look at this guy:
I believe it's a male "Halloween Pennant" dragonfly and it was waiting for me when I got back.
"In almost every part of the world, the Dragonfly symbolizes change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization. The change that is often referred to has its source in mental and emotional maturity and understanding the deeper meaning of life." - Google
Fine. Bring it on! (Just as I was about to get comfortable.) Might as well have an adventure.
Hope you all had a lovely holiday!
Love,
T
