Be a Thermostat

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Are you a peace keeper or a peacemaker? A peace keeper avoids conflict at all cost and is passive in their interactions with others. A peacemaker, on the other hand, takes active steps to create peace where there is none. In his book Access and Release God’s Peace, Paul Martini says the difference between the two is like the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat:

“We can be either a thermostat or a thermometer. Thermometers tell the temperature and climate of a room, but thermostats actually change the temperature and set the climate of a room. Think of the fruit of peace working in you and through you as something that strengthens your thermostat capabilities – your ability to change an environment. As thermostats, we can confront real-life circumstances and choose to express peace until the environment matches what is inside of us... It is impossible to be a peacemaker, at least the way Jesus intended it, without the Prince of Peace taking up residence in our souls. We must stay connected to Jesus and choose to be bold and fearless in peace if we are to grow in peace and strengthen our thermostat capabilities.” (Pages 53-54)

How do we do this?

First, believe that Christ is alive and wants to help you. Pray repeatedly the simple prayer of St. Faustina: “Jesus, I trust in You.”

Next, look for ways to be proactive in creating peace. In times of trouble, maybe you need to leave the room for a moment. Ask Christ to calm your nerves and help you find a way to express your feelings without attacking the other. Ask Him to help you listen with an understanding heart. Ask Him to help you be compassionate instead of judgmental. Ask Him to help you offer His love to the other. Also, God designed each of us to feel better with specific activities like digging in the garden, writing in a journal, or going for a walk or bike ride. Doing this helps you blow off steam and organize your thoughts. Then, ask Christ to show you a peaceful solution. 

Also, a dear friend once told me: “Take ten minutes to just sit and praise Jesus. Just ten minutes of praise. Then ask Him, ‘How do You want me to handle this?’ Write down everything that comes to mind. Don’t try to force it or edit it. Just write down what comes to mind. That’s how Jesus speaks to you.” When you’re faced with a dilemma or difficulty, follow my friend’s advice. Praise Him, and then write down what He says to you. He wants to help you.

Instead of passively waiting for peace to happen, let’s strive to create peace where there is none. Let’s be bold thermostats. Let’s be proactive in bringing Christ’s peace to ourselves and to our world.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” – Matthew 5:9

“Enlighten me, Lord, so that I may know how to bring Your peace to every situation.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

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Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Taking Lessons From Antihistamines

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There’s a commercial on TV where allergens like pollen are depicted as a giant green monster invading the town. People flee in terror except for one man who’s oblivious to the chaos around him. He’s unfazed by this ‘monster’ because he’s taken the antihistamine they’re advertising. He knows from past experience that an attack is likely to happen, so he took the antihistamine as prevention.

We can take a lesson from that commercial. We know that we’ll suffer chaos of some kind many times in our lives. Most of these attacks come from outside us, though sometimes they’re a direct result of the choices we’ve made. Regardless of the details, our troubles and pain are real. 

Prayer is our spiritual ‘antihistamine.’ While going through difficulties we probably won't remain unfazed, as the man in the commercial did, but here are a few ways we can build up our ‘defenses’ and handle life’s hardships with Christ:

“Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17). 

Reflect often on His unconditional love for you and His promise to be with you always.

Attend weekday Mass; follow the daily Scripture readings on the Laudate app, which also gives brief reflections on those readings; or google ‘Mass readings for today’ and reflect on them.

Pray the rosary while you sit, while you walk, while you drive, and when you have trouble sleeping. This prayer connects Christ’s life with yours and oftentimes brings tranquility.

When you build up your ‘defenses’ with prayer, you equip yourself with His strength, joy, grace, peace, and unconditional love. Then, when difficulties arise and you feel the chaos closing in all around you, remind yourself that you have Christ’s power within you to strengthen you. Wrap yourself in His peace. This isn’t pollyanna peace where you deny your suffering, put on a happy face, and pretend everything’s OK. Rather, in the midst of your pain, cry out to Him and cling to Him in prayer. Pour out your heart to Him and He will help you. Offer your suffering to Him; ask Him to take it from you and use it for some benefit. Trust that He loves you. Trust that He can help you. Look around with Him for solutions and ways toward a resolution. Also, sometimes Christ shows Himself in the people you love, who you can trust and turn to for holy guidance. Lean on them and feel Christ’s presence in their love and support. When you do this, you’ll have greater peace than if you tried to manage the struggle on your own.

Clinging to Him in prayer and reminding ourselves over and over again that He’ll be with us at all times will build up our defenses. Then, when hardships arise, we’ll be equipped with His power and immense love to weather those storms. That reassurance will bring us His peace, even in the midst of chaos.

“In You, my God, I place my trust.” – Psalm 91:2

“Lord, help me stay focused on You when chaos hits.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

What Do You Want?

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Our friend Len shouldn’t be alive today. Watching him build a fence around his yard and remodel their home, you’d never know that this man, now in his 70s, almost died. Twice. Len had a near-death experience 45 years ago, and more than 15 years ago was told he had months to live. He was in so much pain that he asked God to let him die. That’s when someone suggested he see an MD in Cleveland who had a reputation for treating -- and healing -- terminal cases like his. Len made an appointment and let this physician, Dr. Issam Nemeh, treat him in his office. Len was healed immediately. Later, when he saw his own doctors, they were shocked. 

Dr. Nemeh is adamant that it’s God, not he, Who does the healing. He’s quick to point out that Jesus healed people 2,000 years ago and continues to heal people today.

In Mark’s gospel we read about the blind man Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). As Jesus walked by, Bartimaeus cried out, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus called him over and asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”  

Why did Jesus ask him this? Wasn’t it obvious that Bartimaeus wanted to see? Jesus asked because He wanted Bartimaeus to have clear in his mind what he wanted Jesus to do. If Bartimaeus could see, his life would change, so asking took courage. Christ also wanted the crowd to see the connection between Bartimaeus’ faith and his healing. 

Do you want anything from Christ? Any kind of healing? Physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual? How would you answer Christ’s question?

He’s asking you: “What do you want Me to do for you?” 

Maybe you want Christ to ‘make it better’ but haven’t asked Him for anything specific. Maybe you’ve become complacent. Maybe you’re afraid of what might be asked of you if you’re healed. Maybe you don’t believe Christ can heal you.

Christ wants you to trust Him to do for you what you want Him to do. He wants you to ask so that He can heal you. When you ask Him for anything, your humble prayers acknowledge His power, and your faith is strengthened. When you ask Him to rid you of your pain, you become more like Christ because He, too, begged the Father to spare Him the pain of His passion and death. When your prayer isn’t answered as you wanted it to be, ask Him to use your pain for some kind of good for someone else. That gives purpose to your suffering. 

Let Christ open your eyes to how our loving God can heal you, strengthen you, bring you closer to Himself and, in the process, make you more like Him.

 “Jesus said to (Bartimaeus), ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ The blind man replied to Him, ‘Master, I want to see.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go. Your faith has saved you.’”

–Mark 10:51-52

“Lord, ________________”

(If you’d like to hear Len’s story, go to BLIND FAITH LIVE! Real People. Real Miracles. on Apple Podcasts   Scroll way down to November 25, 2013, and you’ll find “The Miracle Story of Leonard.” In this podcast, Len and Dr. Nemeh relay Len’s story to the radio personality you may know as Trapper Jack.)

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

There's Power in Praise

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We were walking around the neighborhood with our son under sunny blue skies that gorgeous June day when I looked around and said, “Oh, what a beautiful day!” Michael didn’t miss a beat and replied, “Yeah, and the weather’s nice, too!” 

On sunny days, literally and figuratively, our blessings are easy to find. It’s easy to praise God when things are going the way we want them to go. It’s easy to feel grateful when the sun is shining. The challenge, of course, is to thank God and praise Him in all circumstances and for all circumstances. How do we manage to do this?

Let’s look at the feast of Pentecost, which we celebrated this past Sunday, for some insight. On Pentecost, not only do we commemorate the day when the risen Christ sent the Holy Spirit to empower His disciples, but we also remember that He sent the Holy Spirit to empower us, too, when we were baptized. We were given this power to help us become more like Christ and bring His kingdom to earth. The Spirit is within us to fill us with gratitude, guide us in making difficult decisions, strengthen us against worldly temptations, help us grow in charity, and otherwise lead us closer to Him. For as long as we live He’ll give us more of His power whenever we ask Him to. 

So, when we thank and praise God, in easy and challenging times, we take the focus off ourselves and remind ourselves of His infinite goodness. We open our hearts to receive more of His loving power. We move closer to Him. Then, we’re able to see more clearly how He wants us to use His power to grow in charity and bring about His kingdom. 

When He empowers us, we grow in holiness. Through the Spirit, we all have the potential to be holy, which goes far beyond simply being good people. With His power within us, we’re able to give more than we thought we could and bear what seemed to be unbearable. We’re able to do the impossible, as Christ did:

“...whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and they will do even greater things than these...” – John 14:12             

When we use His power, we’ll experience what we most long for: His peace and joy. And the more we exercise His power, the more powerful the Spirit becomes in us. Charity – holy love – becomes a habit, a part of who we are. We mature in holiness and become more like Christ. 

We change our world. And it all starts with thanking and praising Him.

So, praise and thank God in every circumstance. Open your heart, and ask Him for more of His Spirit to empower you so that you can do the impossible, as Christ did.

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be ever in my mouth.” – Psalm 34:2

“Lord, increase in me the power of Your Spirit!”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

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P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Pray First and Then Decide

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Congratulations to all the graduates! Remember the excitement and apprehension before your graduation? The future looked like a wide open field of countless possibilities and opportunities. So many decisions to make! More school? Get a job? Stay close to home or move away? These are just a few questions that young adults have to answer.

Graduates aren’t the only ones facing life decisions. Over time we may decide to go back to school, change jobs, or move. No matter our age or education level, we’re always called to give to society in a positive way. Deciding on what that looks like can be a challenge. 

We may ask ourselves: “How does our Lord want me to use my particular skills? How can I use my gifts to contribute to society and to the needs of others?” As we get older, our questions may switch from “What career do I want to pursue?” to “Now that the kids are grown and gone, what’s my role?” or “Now that I’m retired, how will I use my time?” 

Our Lord has given each of us a unique combination of our personality, talents, and circumstances. He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your strengths, your weaknesses, and your potential. He knows what brings you toward Him and what pulls you away from Him. He knows your heart, and He knows your motives. He sees you, He knows you, and He loves you. He wants you to have His peace – the peace that comes from following Him and uniting your will with His.

Regardless of your age, whenever you’re presented with an opportunity, or are facing a dilemma, pray first. Let Christ guide your mind and heart toward Him and what He wants you to do. Pray, and ask Him what He wants for you. Pray, and ask what He wants from you. Pay attention to what comes to mind. When you consider your options prayerfully, you allow our Lord to direct your steps toward what will bring you and others closer to Him. The key is to make these decisions with prayer. Christ will lead you to His peace if you ask Him to. 

Praying before deciding isn’t just for life decisions. Every day, we’re presented with situations that require a decision. For example, we decide what to watch on TV and what sites to visit on the internet. We decide whether to be kind or irritable toward the wait staff when the service is slow. In how we treat our coworkers and family members, in the emails and texts we send, and in how we spend our time, we have countless decisions to make. Stop and ask our Lord if what you’re about to do or say is pleasing to Him. Then, pay attention to how your mind and heart respond. 

Pray first. Then, you can decide.

“You, Lord… know the hearts of all.” – Acts 1:24

“Lord, guide my decisions on what I do and say today.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, at home, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Work With the Spirit

 

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It may surprise you to learn that St. Paul worked as a tentmaker. Even while traveling great distances to announce the Good News of Christ’s resurrection, he worked. This is surprising because we tend to put the early apostles on a pedestal, thinking they did nothing but pray, perform miracles, and hear the voice of God. But Paul and the others worked as they traveled and preached; it wasn’t necessarily an all-or-nothing endeavor. Paul surely taught them while he worked: Through his words and interactions with his coworkers, he showed them the loving power of God.

God uses you in your work, too. He uses all of us, if we let Him. 

Remember that, through your baptism, the Holy Spirit lives in you. Like a deep well that requires only a bucket to reach the hidden waters below, you have only to ‘dip into’ the power of God to access the love, patience, compassion, peace, and more that He has made available to you through your baptism.

How? First, through prayer. Prayer keeps Him close in mind. Sit quietly, thank Him for loving you, and pay attention to the thoughts that come to you. Read the psalms or any book of the New Testament and see what words strike you. 

Then, draw on the patience that dwells in you when dealing with a difficult client or child. Ask the Spirit to give you insight into how to handle a particular situation – and then pay attention to the ideas that come to mind. Ask Him to help you be fair and honest in your work, in your dealings with coworkers and how you use your time. Ask Him to guide your words when discussions get tense – and then let Him. Ask Him to bless the people who will benefit from the work you do. All these and more will bring our Lord into your workplace.

As Christ spoke to the apostles, He speaks also to and through all of us. We simply have to be open to hearing His words. Start by taking a few moments to thank Him for your job and the people you interact with – that’s prayer. Then, pay attention to how He speaks in your workplace. For example, when you get a friendly call or email just when you need a pick-me-up, that’s Christ speaking through that other person. When you offer encouragement or other kind words to another person, you’re letting Christ speak through you.

As Teresa of Avila said, “God has no hands or feet or voice except ours, and through these He works.” 

No matter what kind of work we do, one of our jobs is to let others see God through our words and interactions with others while we work, just as Paul and the other apostles did. 

“(Paul) stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” – Acts 18:3

“Lord, let the work I do be done with You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Lifting Each Other Up

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If you’ve ever struggled to reach a goal, you might have discovered that joining a group with similar desires as your own helped you succeed. That’s because we tend to thrive when we’re supported by people who have the same goal that we do. For example, if we want to walk regularly, walking with a group might help us stick to a routine. The group makes the activity more enjoyable and encourages us to keep going when we want to stop. It also holds us accountable (“We missed you yesterday!”). 

We benefit from our social and spiritual connections in a similar way that we benefit from a club such as a walking group. It’s important to nurture our relationships with the people who encourage and challenge us, and who allow us to do the same for them. We bring out the best in each other emotionally and spiritually. We strengthen each other for the hurdles that life presents to us. We pray for each other as we navigate health issues, work-related challenges, or family struggles. We help each other get through each particular difficulty in the way Christ wants us to, which is sometimes different from what our initial reaction might be.

Lifting each other up in this way fills us with the Love our souls crave. Convinced that we’re loved by God, we’re strengthened to offer this love to others. For example, if someone at work shares with you that they’re struggling with something, offer to pray for them. Tell them that you don’t even need to know the details; God knows the details. Tell them you’ll pray that the Lord will give them whatever it is that they need the most, including His peace during this difficult time. Doing so will remind them that they’re loved and that Christ is walking with them through their challenge. 

The early apostles also supported each other as they traveled and spread the word of Christ’s resurrection. Take the case of Paul. He and Barnabas were preaching and healing people with the power of Christ, but there were some who didn’t accept them. At one point, Paul was stoned and left for dead. The other disciples gathered around him and, presumably, prayed for him and cared for him until he recovered fully (see Acts 14).

Empowered by the love of Christ, the early apostles prayed for each other and strengthened each other in their ministry. In a similar way, let’s lift each other up and encourage each other to face life’s difficulties with the strength Christ gives us. 

“When the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city.” – Acts 14:20

“Lord, thank You for the people who help me face my challenges with You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.