Anita Lustrea

I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is titled Self Compassion by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.

The post Poem/prayer 18 – Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 10.6.231.

1. We live in difficult times. The House of Representatives is a mess. Our former president is a moral disgrace. Christian nationalism is gaining momentum. We’re banning  books and our allies wonder if we are trustworthy.  

I find myself growing agitated. The nonsense sometimes becomes just too much. And when I’m agitated, I need to turn to things that breathe life back into my tired soul, to things that reminds me of what is true and good. 

Poetry is one of those things.

“When despair for the world grows in me

in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

And Scripture helps. 

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

 “Are you tired? Worn out? … Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” ~ Jesus

2. “My abilities are only limited by my lack of opportunities.” ~ Henry Aaron

One of the greatest gifts we can offer someone is an opportunity to do what they were created to do and to be who they were intended to be. Those who refuse to give opportunities to others do grievous harm to individuals and society. 

3. The man in a super hero costume says: “My superpower is turning anything I don’t understand into a conspiracy theory.”

Ain’t that the truth. Instead of seeking to understand what’s happening, too many people these days just stand on the sidelines bellowing nonsense. What’s sad is that they draw an audience.

4. “We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answers.” ~ Abraham Joshua Heschel

I like to read things that make me squirm a bit. It leads to questions I want to find the answers for. 

The very best people I know periodically re-examine what they believe and why. It’s a good discipline. Sometimes they discover that what they believe just doesn’t stand up to scrutiny anymore. Sometimes they discover they still do. 

It’s also wise to periodically look at ideas we’ve dismissed a time or two. A second look might unearth something we missed the first time around.

It’s good to know where we stand and why.

5. “I must become the unique person I am meant to be. The more I become what my creator called me to be originally, the more I will be united with my divine origin.  I must find my original self  as hidden in God. The original life of a Christian, Saint Paul says, is hidden in Christ.” ~ Fr. Adrian van Kaam

6. “President Biden last  Thursday sharply rebuked former president Donald Trump and his supporters for continued attempts to undermine American democracy … Biden called Trump out by name before detailing what he described as his anti-democratic behavior: relentless attacks on the press, praise for the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attackers, plans to consolidate power in the executive branch and a desire to fire civil servants who are not sufficiently loyal to him.

“There’s something dangerous happening in America now,” Biden said. “There’s an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy.” He added, “We should all remember: Democracies don’t have to die at the end of a rifle. They can die when people are silent, when they fail to stand up or condemn the threats to democracy… This MAGA threat is a threat to the brick and mortar of our democratic institutions, but it’s also a threat to the character of our nation that gives our Constitution life.” ~Tyler Pager and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez WAPO

Preach it loud and strong. 

 “… Representative Greg Cesar (D-TX) asked the members of the House Oversight Committee to raise their hands if they believe that both Hunter Biden and Trump should be held accountable if they are found guilty on any of their indictments. The Democrats all raised their hands. The Republicans did not.” ~ Heather Cox Richardson

I’m not shocked by this but I am disappointed and a little frightened.  Democracy is indeed under attack and  MAGA folks are leading the assault.  

7. There can be no self-care without self-compassion, which is compassion turned inward. It is the ability to connect to our feelings, to respond to our suffering with kindness, and to desire that our suffering be ameliorated. ~ Chanequa Walker-Barnes”

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” ~ Maya Angelou

“I can’t be a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help, someone who is hungry or thirsty, nor toss out someone who is in need of my help.  If I say I am Christian, but do these things, I’m a hypocrite.” ~ Pope Francis

“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” ~ Blaise Pascal .

8. Throughout the New Testament we are invited to model ourselves on Jesus, the Christ, taking on his way of seeing and living in the world.

And what does Jesus see? How does Jesus live? How did Jesus experience this world of ours when He walked and talked with us?

Keep reading the gospels over and over again. Catch Jesus in the act of being His version of being human. Then do likewise. 

Philosopher Dallas Willard once said: “Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.” 

9. I love thinking of my spiritual life as a pilgrimage, an intentional journey through life that isn’t necessarily a straight line from Point A to Point B. I’ve read several Creeds of the Pilgrim and  then cherry picked some thoughts and  made my own. 

The Pilgrims Creed 

1. I am willing to be flexible.

2. I’m neither in control, nor in a hurry.

3. I journey in faith, hope, and peace and offer them to those I meet.

4. I know God will provide for me in a variety of ways and will use me to help provide for others.

5.  I will savor the journey and find meaning within it. 

6. I joyfully accept the sacrifices, challenges, and blessings that come my way.

10.  Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., weighed in Tuesday on the historic ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy by saying to his House GOP colleagues that they should ‘…follow your heart but take your brain with you.’ Sen. Kennedy also advised they ‘take their meds.”

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-06-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected].

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 72 – Matthew 6:19-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Melinda Schmidt joins me again for another podcast about shifting and how we can feel good about the shifts that come into our lives.

Shifting can come through:

Brene Brown Quotes

People may call what happens at midlife “a “crisis,” but it’s not. It’s an unraveling–a time when you feel a desperate pull to live the life you want to live, not the one you’re “”supposed” to live. The unraveling is a time when you are challenged by the universe to let go of who you think you are supposed to be and to embrace who you are.

Midlife is certainly one of the great unraveling journeys, but there are others that happen to us over the course of our lives:

The universe is not short on wake-up calls. We’re just quick to hit the snooze button.

•    Creativity embeds knowledge so that it can become practice. We move what we’re learning from our heads to our hearts through our hands. We are born makers, and creativity is the ultimate act of integration—it is how we fold our experiences into our being.

(Brené Brown, Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution.) (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24473885-rising-strong)

Joyce Rupp Prayer:

December 20 in her book Anchors for the Soul

Pebbles of Truth

Great mystery,

For many years in my journey of life

I have searched for a deeper meaning,

One that gives purpose and direction.

I have learned that in every experience

And in each person who comes my way,

In theologies, philosophies, psychologies,

And in every form of spirituality and prayer,

I find another pebble of truth on the path.

All lead me to discover who I am and why:

To enter into the fullness of union with you.

Today: I watch for “pebbles” to lead me into fuller union.

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 373 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is a quote by Gerry Tucker.

The post Poem/Prayer 17 – Gerry Tucker appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 9.29.231. 

1. “I am the daughter of a house painter & homemaker. I believe in America; in unions, in education that doesn’t put a kid in debt forever, in clean air and water, in a free press, in the right to go to the movies or school without being murdered …” ~ Bette Midler

2. “So a Democratic Senator is indicted on serious charges, and no Democrats attacking the Justice Department, no Democrats attacking the prosecutors, no Democrats calling for an investigation of the prosecution, and no Democrats calling to defund the Justice Department,” wrote former Republican representative from Illinois and now anti-Trump activist Joe Walsh. 

Refreshing, isn’t it? 

3. “But what if, when we unearth the gospel in the West, we abandon the  illusion that we are meant to win? What if the church in post-Christendom eschews any inclination to dominate or  control  the culture in which it  finds  itself? What if faithfulness becomes  our metric rather than triumph?” ~ Michael Frost – Mission in the Shape of Water 

I’d add that the church also needs to fully embrace its prophetic role which is described by noted theologian Walter Bruggemann as  “ telling the truth in a society that lives in an illusion, grieving  in a society that practices denial, and expressing hope in a society that lives in despair.”

4. I want to recommend an interesting and well written book  by Brian McLaren entitled “Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed,and the Disillusioned .”

 It’s a valuable resource for anyone on the deconstruction /reconstruction continuum.  It’s a thoughtful analysis of what’s right about Christianity and where it falls short. It’s provocative for sure and at times painful to read. But there’s wisdom throughout. I was once again forced to look critically at the faith I long ago said yes to and to acknowledge the harm done by people and structures (even now) who forgot and keep forgetting what the message and work  of Jesus is all about.

P.S. After reading it you might need to talk it through with someone, perhaps a spiritual director,  who understands that ‘conversion’ is an ongoing process. 

5. Having just spent time Up North and with my young grandchildren, I am doubling down on my deeply held conviction that anything that smacks of authoritarianism  is not only  a threat to their hopes, dreams and aspirations, but is also a threat to children everywhere. 

My grandchildren are loved by their parents and are involved in all kinds of wonderful things. For that, I’m grateful. But they are growing up in a scary and confusing world where far too many adults are acting in primitive and unhealthy ways. 

I want to encourage all of us to ‘up our game’ a bit, standing against the nonsense being peddled by extremist factions here, there, and everywhere.  At times, it feels as if wherever I look  an extremist person or group is front and center. Their speech is strident, their methods are heavy handed and punitive, their moral compass is nowhere to be found and their motivation is suspect.

Your voice and mine needs to be heard lest people start to believe there is no other option. Whether it is online or on the frontline, with some measure of resolve, we need to push back when friends, neighbors, family, co-workers and church friends start spewing untruth and hate.  We don’t need to get into an argument. We don’t need to be rude. But we do need to say  that ‘we see things differently.’ In fact, in many cases, that’s all we need to say. 

Take it a step further by writing letters to the editor, contacting elected officials, attending school board meetings and standing up for the disenfranchised. Look the fools in the eye and say ‘not on my watch’. Use your on-line presence to repost the thoughtful comments of others. 

Will you lose friends? I certainly have and grieve those losses but in the process I’ve made more friends and sleep better at night. 

Authoritarianism becomes deeply rooted when good people stay quiet and refuse to rock the boat that needs to be rocked. 

At the same time, it’s still incumbent upon us to continue to look for pathways of healing and reconciliation. That’s what faith-filled people do. It’s a bit of a balancing act, well worth the effort. 

6. There is a night prayer attributed to the New Zealand Prayer Book that holds meaning for me. “It is night after a long day. What has been done has been done; what has not been done, has not been done. Let it be.”

And from the Book of Common Prayer: “This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, help me to do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.”

7. “Poverty exists not because we can’t afford to feed the poor but because we can’t satisfy the rich.” 

Not sure who said this but it certainly makes sense. It’s one of the reasons I find trickle down economics so troublesome. Record profits don’t translate to reduced prices do they?

 Those at the top end of the wage scale always get their bump. Blue collar workers  have to dig and scratch for any increase. It’s why they decide to go on strike

8.  “… St. Francis offered this instruction to the first friars: “You only know as much as you do.” His emphasis on action, practice, and lifestyle was foundational and revolutionary for its time and remains at the heart of Franciscan alternative orthodoxy… Jesus became someone to actually follow and imitate.   Up to this point, most of Christian spirituality was based in desert asceticism, monastic discipline, theories of prayer, or academic theology, which itself was often based in “correct belief” or liturgical texts, but not in a kind of practical Christianity that could be lived in the streets of the world. Francis emphasized an imitation and love of the humanity of Jesus, and not just the worshiping of his divinity.” ~ Center for Action and Contemplation

9. As heard on Mike Huckabee’s show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network:  “ If former president Trump loses the 2024 election because of the many indictments grand juries have handed down concerning his behavior, it is going to be the last American election that will be decided by ballots rather than guns.”

In other words if the rule of law wins, the guns will come out. Ah, Christian nationalism at its finest. 

10.  Republicans in Congress, especially in the House,  don’t like talking to Democrats. 

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 09-29-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected].

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 71 – Matthew 5:43-48 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is a prayer by Donald K. Nelson.

The post Poem/Prayer 16 – Donald K. Nelson appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected].

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 70 – II Corinthians 2:1-7 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Melinda Schmidt joins me again as we continue to talk about adaptations and shifts relating to the surprises of life. We focus on the new ways of being and relating that come to us in life and may feel like confusion or crisis or be completely unwanted. How do we shift our thinking as we move through these moments and understand them with wanted clarity and even new purpose? If life feels a bit unstable right now, you’ll appreciate this week’s conversation.

Books mentioned:

• When the Heart Waits

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 372 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.