"Oh, God, why have you abandon me?"  Okay, I don't really think He has, but He definitely hasn't answered my prayers the way I thought He would.  I am confused.  I feel alone.  I don't understand why this is happening.
  I decided that this was one of those times that my faith would have to be stronger than what I am feeling right now.  I went to Mass this morning.  I prayed.  I did it as an act of faith.  Today I feel like I believe in God more than He believes in me, but there is a plan.  Waiting for it to be revealed is so difficult.  Knowing that the plan may contain more pain for my family is even harder.
  My friend, Marie Bellet, is a Catholic Recording Artist.  She has a song that goes, "Well it scares me so to know, what You can take away and it's getting kind of hard to find the words to say, 'Thy will be done.' "  These words are so true for me right now.

Quote:

"When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul."  Psalm 94:19


Prayer:
  Lord, Grant me peace that surpasses all understanding in this difficult time.  Help me to keep trusting You.

  This election season has been so long and filled with so much anger and emotion.  I couldn't wait for election night to end, not just to see if my choice won, but for all the campaigning to be over.
  It is so important not to get pulled into the negativity.  Today I am focused on how to move forward with love, peace and prayers in my heart.  I want to heal.  I want to forgive.  I want to pray for what I feel deep in my heart is right. I want to remember, that ultimately, God is in control.
  No matter what side you are on, there is opportunity today.  If your guy won, you can celebrate and move past the anger and complaints of the last eight years.  If your guy lost, you can focus on the future and try to be a better loser than those we have witnessed before.  Either way, complacency is gone and so are many of the excuses some in our country have used for not working harder at pulling our citizens up.  Glass ceilings were cracked and others were broken.  We should all celebrate today, no matter what our parties or our choices were.  The waiting is over and soon, the next four years will begin.  Many blessings to all.

Question:
  What kind of winner or loser am I?  Can I be gracious while I wait for the next four years to be revealed?

Quote:
(When Pilate stated to Jesus that he had power to release him or crucify him, Jesus replied....)
"You would have no power over me, if it had not been given to you from above." John 19:11
 

  Well, it has been two weeks since 'the accident' and my car is still in the shop.  What a frustration....my insurance doesn't fully reimburse rental cars, so we are trying to get along without it.  With six kids still at home and a million places to be everyday; It has been rough.
  If it wasn't for my family and friends, this waiting would have been even harder, if not impossible.  Instead of complaining during this particular type of waiting, I am saying a prayer of gratitude for everyone who has given me a hand these past few weeks.  Here's a shout out to my mom, my sister, some of my daughter's friends, Matt and Anne Pernot, Laurie G. and anyone else who has helped us out.  We are blessed indeed. Thank you.

Question:
  How has God blessed me today?  Has he given me friends that help me to get through difficult times?

Quote:
" Ask and you will receive." John 16:24

  My daughter was in a car accident last week (explains the late post).  Thank God, she is going to be just fine.  Again, I found myself waiting.  First, to get to the hospital. Then, for the trauma team to examine her and tell me what was happening.  Still again, for her to have a CT scan and to get the results.  The final 'all clear' came soon after.
  Oddly enough, I didn't find this waiting too difficult. I had something to do, I had to help my daughter get through all this.  Three years ago, she had brain surgery.  We felt like we had been in this situation before.  Everything turned out all right and she is back at school and work as of today.
  Then came the waiting I can't stand: Waiting for the insurance company to open their daytime phone hours, waiting for calls back, waiting to see what the damage to the car was.  These were things I couldn't control and I couldn't do anything to make the time speed up.  On top of it all, I couldn't sleep because I was running all the what ifs through my mind.
  Finally, I talked to God while I waited.  I put it all in His hands and when it was a reasonable hour (like 7am), I called a friend that I knew would be awake.  She prayed with me, let me talk, and helped me pass the time until the phone lines would be open. She provided me with friendship and fellowship.

Question:
  Who can I count on to help me during times of waiting?

Quote for the day:
"Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you..." Psalm 55:22

  I was waiting for a very long train to pass.  The longer it took the more aggitated I became.  Stupid train... I'll be late.... hurry up....stupid train.  Then it occurred to me, waiting for this train, I had the opportunity to do what I very rarely do. Nothing.
  I am always busy, rushing, multi-tasking and so on.  While I wait for the train, I can't do laundry, or clean.  I can't write or check email.  I can just sit and enjoy this moment.

Question:
  When is the last time I enjoyed waiting, because I couldn't be doing anything else?

Quote of the day:
  "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing." Luke 11:41

  Some years ago, I was waiting for a difficult point in my life to end.  I could barely stand the emotional pain and all I could see was the end point.  I wanted reconciliation with a particular person and situation.
  I sought counsel from a wise man who pointed out that I was like someone going on a trip.  I was thinking only of when I would arrive and missing all the cool stuff on the way.  He urged me to think of this period as a journey, not a destination and to stop, look around and see what I would discover as I journeyed.
  He was right!  There was an exciting life that I discovered as a waited for that outcome and I decided that the outcome I thought I wanted, was not what was best for me at all.

Question:
  What are you missing today because you are worrying about tomorrow?

Quote of the day:
  "I waited, waited for the Lord; who bent down and heard my cry...Set my feet upon a rock, steadied my steps....And put a new song in my mouth, a hymn to God."  Psalm 40:1,3,4

 
  I'm hanging out just waiting for my husband to call me back.  I just want to hear his voice.  I'm not having a bad day, I'm not struggling with any huge issues (except my kids thinking that throwing clean clothes down for laundry is an acceptable way to clean their rooms)...... I just want to hear the voice of the person who loves me most.
  While I wait, I am trying not to waste the moments I have been given.  I am cleaning up, answering emails, starting that *ugh* laundry.  I am wondering what God has planned for this moment of my life.  I am trying to listen to hear His voice.   
  I realize I was wrong, my husband is not the one who loves me most of all, it is the Lord who created me....... and his line is never busy.
  Hi, God... It's me.....

Today's quote:
  "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are." 1 john 3:1

  We wait for so many things: A train to pass, a loved one to return from military deployment, a friend to receive medical test results.  We know how these things can impact our lives, but what about the waiting?  What do we do with the time to wait? 
  We can use this time to contemplate the decisions and actions we make.  We can get busywork done.  We can spend this time with the Lord in prayer.
  How will you use time spent waiting productively today?

  Quote:  "Be Still and Know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10

  What are you waiting for today?  Write to me at mrosien@rochester.rr.com and  let me know.

Blessings,
ML