Basic Missions

June 20, 2009

Beacons and Bandaids……..

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Hello Small World,

I had an amazing experience this weekend, so while the new site is being finished I thought I would share the details. As much as I enjoyed Easter and writing the lenten study book I will be very happy to see it off the front page of this site.

Saturday afternoon I headed out on a quest. It felt like a grail quest. Have I seen one to many Dan Brown movies lately. Yes. Anyway, Duncan’s medicene patches have a great deal of trouble staying on him. I cannot imagine why a human being just cannot stop sweating when it is 100 degrees outside. Ha. Anyway I walk into a city wide institution here in Mobile called Saad’s Healthcare. They have helped us buy wheelchairs, rojo pillows, walkers, and many other things. So, I had hope that they could help me find something to keep these medical marvels in pain management stuck to my hubby. Little did I know I would be walking into a store filled not only with help and yes an amazing product that you cannot hardly remove: but also with three amazing people.

The first was a teacher… she may not knowing it yet but her path is just being realized. God has touched her in such a unique way that she has only one way to go. She began simply by telling me her sister’s story. You all know how much I talk, it was nice for some else to have the floor besides; I sort of had socially shared enough that everyone else was eager to talk and ready to share after about 20 minutes.(We had trouble getting the work into the computer just so know one thinks these folks were not working.) Then she continued to tell me the story of her mothers faith and her journey out of a terrible car crash and the blessings and changes that she experienced through it all. I have not asked her permission to share of story so I will losely sum it up. Her younger sister was taken ill very early in life. As doctor’s tend to do they sent her home with a ton of medication and an ominious message for the parents. Prepare for her death. Get your life right with your God. Well, if they had been paying attention they would have realized that the Mom had the right ear of God and she knew that if you passed from belief into knowing what you have asked of the Universe’s Creator you will recieve it. That promise is in every Gideon Bible left in every bereft hotel room on earth. She brought her daughter home. Prayed. Took her off all meds and then gave her over to God. Soon she was recovering at record speed and the family spread the word far and wide about the blessings thier family had been given.

Now if you know my story you know that this was a hook for me immediately. My husband and I have both faced unsermountable odds and faced them with faith and a strong will to live and we have overcome and are living proof that sometimes a strong will, a strong faith and some good old horse sense can save your life.)

Anyway back to the story. As the years pass this amazing sister who had witnessed her families heroic faith and struggle was the victim in a horrible car wreck. The number of bones she broke and the spiritual lessons she learned are to many to name. But once again this family came thru with a teenage child in the hospital and bed for a year recovering painfully and on faith. This young lady and her sister are now each in there 30’s thriving and joyous. No marks of struggle scar thier smiles or wrinkle thier eyes. When I looked into her clear blue eyes all I could see was the joy that only the peace and understanding that you get when you meet you maker and have a long talk with him can bring. I was stunned and thrilled to meet this beacon of light. Saad’s is lucky to have brought this young lady into thier working family and I know that each person that is suffering or who walks threw the door there will be greeted by someone who will not only understand what it is to have to take time to heal but also understands that in the love of God there is infinite patience for nuts that walk in off the street like me or people in need of a wheelchair or a helping hand with thier diabetic testing supplies. Those clear blue eyes will forever be etched in my heart and prayers.

Now the second Beacon I met was a young nurse, her heart held close and her eyes where holding a bit of pain. After I shared my cancer victory with her she said the words’ ” My Mom was just diagnosised with lung cancer!” Well if you have never been on the recieving end of that lovely football you will never be able to comprehend the kick in the gut that it leaves you with that seems to never go away. Well, I shared a bit about my journey and listened as she asked very tactful questions. She is also on a grail quest. She wants to help her mother heal. Now healing is a very different animal then curing. Although I belive both are possible. I also belive that this young nurse is just the person to get the job done. I invited her to write and I would share the diet and plan that slowed my cancer into dormancy. And I would hand out yet another copy of my favorite documentary on cancer that inspires you to go beyond you diagnosis and challenge yourself to not live as a sick victim but a brave cancer solider. By the way if you have not see Kris Carr and Brian Fassett’s movie Crazey Sexy Cancer get it… it will change how you feel about whatever your dealing with in your life. And the book that goes along with it has tips and reciepes that can change you into a super healing machine. So this young girl renewed my burned out booty and reminded me to get moving, get back to work, spread the word. That is what I do. So I am back… even while Basic Missions is in transistion.. that young girl is the whole reason I do this job. To let people know there is a better way to handle cancer then the burn, poison and cut mentality of today. Now if your doctor tells you to get it out. Do it… I am not recommending you go against your doctor’s advice. I am advocating you take control of your fifty percent of the work and get on the right diet, move your body, detox from the meds and make a better life. So thank you little one. You will soon graduate into teaching status and I cannot wait to keep up with you. My prayers are with your Mom her battle has just begun. I pray it is an easy one and I belive God is in all things. May he be with you both.

The third person I met was a young father and husband. He was so sweet. He explained how he loved to cook and we laughed about how grills were as essential to men as shoes are to women. I hope he gets his Father’s Day grill I have a feeling he deserved it. It was funny that within twenty minutes you could tell that this young man was a stand up father……..the kind that Oprah would even have approved of. He was young and working his heart out and ready to go home and cook something wonderful for a young wife that he couldn’t say enough wonderful things about. She works hard, she is lovely, she is a good mother. How often do you walk into that. In my life, not often, so he deserves is status as beacon.

All three of these young people made a mark on me. And I cannot wait to run back into Saad’s when I am back in town. If you live in Mobile and use diabetic supplies or a company that mails your supplies to you check them out. Look into giving a home town company you business and put some money back into you own city. They supply you with all you need for however many months you prescription is for, they also give you a good dose of courage, a dash of Testimony, and a smile and reasssurance that if this generation is raising the children of tomorrow we will all be alright.

Thank you all for a lovely Saturday that I will not soon forget. Thanks for the help. I have saved a fortune on Duncan’s testing supplies and the bandaids……although quiet fancy work great. And I have been inspired to get my tushie moving I have been hibernating long enough.

Many Blessings.

Callie Broussard-Wheeler

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March 31, 2008

Forty Days to a New You~ Easter Lesson 25 Day 25 Resurrection of Acts

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(Mojo and Duncan dying eggs last year)

I was so thrilled we all were able to have a full and happy Easter. I have meant to get this chapter updated for the whole week and have been so busy with the daily work of the mission and needs that come in, that the writing and updating have been on hold. Thank goodness God allowed me to build into this program days until Pentecost Sunday and the celebration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This study as we have talked about was never meant to end on Easter. Easter is however the most important day of the Christian year. The resurrection of Christ is an indescribleable event in all of our hearts each year. Understanding the limits we as human beings hold onto in this life is part of the Easter experience. Jesus rose from the dead then left us to handle all the messiness of being human with gifts. But, there is nothing easy about the conversion of a people nor about the living of the good news.

How wonderful it is to spend time study and sacrificing time to share with God. Because in the end the sacrifice becomes our own special gift to ourselves. The lessons and practices change our life. I have had a year of change. I began this year with full knowledge of illness and a battle to wage against more cancer. I was given a gift that hinged on accepting the challenge of making my life over. In this rebuilding I was charged with changing my entire life. Work habits to eating habits. And none of it came easy. Here I sit with a new life and a new year to engage and enjoy cancer free. Was it easy, no. Was there anyone here to urge me to continue the work, of course. As always God sent angels with the message and a whole host of folks ready to encourage send me help and not allow me to fail. But in the end, it was on my shoulders to meditate each day, eat in a way that would kill my cancer and keep my health in an upward spiral.  Duncan and I, had to take Saatchi to the park and commit to walking those five painful miles each day rain or shine, epidurals or regular day, workday or weekend. So we did it. The reason I am talking about this today is because in each change of life we are asked: to make a commitment, then remake that same commitment daily. If we do not keep the structure we will allow life to fall back into the same unhealthy patterns that got us in the mess to begin with. Maybe if we take our spiritual practice and make it a commitment that we begin each day measuring it in years not days we can understand that our journeys will inhabit all moods and struggles.

I am always inspired by the life of the disciples. Imagine for a short period of your life you are exposed to this amazing man. Then he dies. You see a miracle in his resurrection then poof……………….. you are alone to blaze the path. It is like reading a letter about Lewis and Clark heading off to walk from one shore of the United States to another with a backpack that included a knife, a few food supplies that would run out, a machette to cut threw the underbrush, a map, and protection: such as a jacket, a gun in those days and a book that points out deadly plants and berries. So you feel equiped until the end of the first day when you took those first ten miles of the journey and were far from familiar territory and knew you had thousands of miles to go. Do you turn back or work to make it to see the Grand Canyon and the Pacific Ocean? The courage it takes not to turn back means that there will be days of hell ahead. But there will also be days of such immense of shocking beauty it will take your breath away.

That explains the spiritual journey we as new disciples are on. We are armed and ready, we have our map we have celebrated the fact that we KNOW it can be done. We have our backpack full. The idea of the remainder of these days is to take time and see if we are following the map. Are will living out the lives we were destined to live. Some of us find our paths thru websites, college, the death of a loved one. When we find the path we alone have to blaze that little honey.

Now, since we are studying the very human side of Easter it is nice to acknowledge that the family and religious celebration of Easter was glorious. Although we still have work to do. Many people of a religious bent feel as though Christians are saved. Well what is saved anyway. I was taught that being saved meant that you were washed free of sin by accepting Christ’s sacrifice and then you were heaven bound. Do I believe that? Well, somewhat. I belive that for those of us called to be Christians, Jesus is the way to the goal. Do I feel that the one encompassing moment will set us for life? No. I feel that if we are saved then we are being saved each day and Paul and all the great writers left a few things out. I don’t want to lose you here. This is my ideas, so I mean no offience. First of all “Saved” is both a noun and a verb. I think we forget the verbage. That we are a participant in each day of our salvation. That Christ asks us to teach, follow, work, live and arrange our lives in a manner that preaching a lesson is not needed. You will be known by your life. Now having said that I want us all to understand that being saved is a blessed and wonderful thing. I belive that we have to work daily to bring that action into our lives. I am not keen on the mega-church tele-evangelist life of one act one moment changes all. The Bible depending on which one you pick up have thousands of pages. We have translations yet to be made from scrolls still being translated. I belive that each of us has a book to add to the story of our salvation. Daily I meet people who have found thier own road to God and are living it more fully than any religious could. I have met homeless men and women who do unto others, have faith and move mountains. One such man participates in boards across the country and works to make life better for others with his particular mental illness all the while living under an overpass and spending his days in pursiut of spreading the love that Christ taught. He cannot however make the same difference for himself and is content in his life. I have also met men and women who may only have contact with five others souls on the planet for years at a time. However those few people are changed forever by the generosity of spirit of a man that has not been out of a hospital bed in a 300 square foot apartment for 20 years. Therefore, I belive that we all have a great and powerful lot of work to muster up and do to be saved daily. Did Christ make the ultimate sacrifice and rise, YES, and the gift is ours to pick up and work with.

Years ago I spent a week learning from a priest named Father Jack from Badass, Michigan. Yes, there is a place. He taught us all that we were saved, were being saved and were in the process of saving others each day. In that one week proceeding Easter I learned more about my own personal power, that is a gift of salvation, then I did from twenty years of college. Father Jack explained to us all that growth in the Easter experience was our chance to make a solid commentment to ourselves. Seeing as the Kingdom of Heaven is within then we are in turn making a commitment to God. God was waiting for us to work with him. Not wait around for some overwhelming miraculous sign of grace. God sends signs daily you have the option to either pick up the hammer, the juicer, the book and change. You can accept the miracle or not. Most often we do no look at the common things in our lives as miracles. We find life mundane and explainable. If we were to take off the glasses of taught thought then we could look at a common walk as a miracle. If you make a trip to gather you mail and an old feeble fellow on a walker stops and talks to you and you learn his life story in ten minutes. You have just given away a miracle. The older man was most likely lonely, tired, feeling valueless and depressed. Now you have just left him with a sense that his life was of interest, he was not alone, and his step may be a bit faster leaving the mail station. Have you ever taken a minute to help someone load thier groceries or catch a purse being left in a cart. You were the angel on the end of the miracle. Have you gotten a test result with bad news. Belive it or not that too is a miracle. Unknowingly God has given you the chance to not only change your life receive healing, he has put modern medicene and a wealth of knowledge at your feet to help you heal. Cure is not the same thing as heal. But a healing is a miracle. In the proper light life is a series of one miracle after another. And a life well lived is a new book in the bible filed under “Acts”. The acts of the apostles are our lives today just as they are the account of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and Timothy. You can add all the names here Leenda, Chris, Deric, Duncan, Jennifer, Debbie, Bookie, Stephanie, and all the rest. The rest of the story is up to us. Are you up to the challenge. Tomorrow will being the new ACTS, each day when we begin the day with prayful meditation, writing, task prayer and yoga we can add the act of living to the prayer of our day. We begin now to see the fruit of our labor is the resurrection of our humanity and spirit.

Our exercise for the day is to write a short list of ten things you wish to do to change you life today. Be as broad and as wishful as you like and be specific. We also want to write ten things we would like to give away to others as our act of being a disciple of Christ. We have good news.. life is changeable, nothing is impossible, Christ is the way, the truth and the light, and we have the map so lets see those list. Pull out the flashlight in your backpack and scribble away. Wish upon a star the universe is listening and Christ only asks us to ask and we shall receive. Give and it shall be given unto us.

I will draw my list up and share it here tomorrow. I look forward to our days until pentecost and the amazing year. Next Easter we will have so much to share from this incredible year.

Let me hear from you and how your doing. We have special prayers for my dearest Leenda who has some test tomorrow and is sure to have the best results but we want to share some peace with her and send her good vibrations, lots of our friends here at basic are traveling and working this week so many blessings to them. Some very special CSC friends are making thier way to Austin, Texas for an incredible weekend of learning and communion. So many blessing to you all and may Kris, Brian, Beth and Terry have a wonderful retreat. I wish I was there with them and cannot wait to be one of the participants in a retreat done by this extra ordinary team. Today starts a week of catch up hear at basicmissions and I pray for all of us to make a new week and a new start after so much field work. And many friends are suffering today from fear in all its nasty forms. Blessings. Ok. A prayful beginning to a new week of Easter. Thank you all for hanging in here with me.

Love and Veggies,

Callie

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March 21, 2008

Forty Days to a New You~ Lesson 24 day 24~ Fear and Sucess!

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It was pointed out to me that today is the day Christ was crucified. Unreal the history behind this one day. This day is like no other in history. But to me this day stands out because it is the day that shows without a doubt that fear is universal. That all greatness in this life is faced with obstacles that are huge. That as we begin to believe in something greater than ourselves we begin to understand there will be a price for those beliefs, it will come, one day. Are we willing to be afraid, off balance and unsure.  Human nature calls us into this day, as a stand out day in time. A defining moment that caused twelve me and two women to change the course of history.

The disciples all ran in fear today. Many would hide and pray that the Roman soliders did not come to jail and kill them. Men who would later be cruicified upside down, imprisioned and persecuted with grace, I might add, ran like rats off a burning ship. We are all human we all run from time to time. In our very ordinary lives, Easter can reprpsent so many stages of “our” lives. We are frightened. We are emboldened, and we are shook to our cores at times. We know the very eyes of fear. Fear has different names for all of us. Cancer, Sin, loneliness, money problems, drug problems. We all have those very dark nights of the soul.

I love Peter. I love that he is always the first to raise his hand in a challenge! I also loved that he is a very human man: the first to fail. But Peter is not a pompass man. He seems to be the kind of man that shakes off his fears and understands the base of his emotions then he picks himself up dust himself off and rises to the occasions that Christ has put in his life. Peter build my church isn’t that the call Jesus had for Peter. He did, Peter he built the church. It is said in church circles that we either follow Peter or follow Paul. I always choose the humaness of Peter. Paul always seems to angry for me and too ready to condemn. Poor Peter he is solid. He may have feet of clay but he will hang those feet over the side of the boat to dry them the sun. He works his whole life to become Christ’s rock. Failing then getting up and trying again. A lifetime of service.

Tonight is not only the night Jesus died it was the night Peter denied Christ three times. Just like God is always in the details, He knew Peter would recoil in fear. He knew the denial was coming. It was ok. Ok for the greatest of apostles to make mistakes just as it is ok for us to fall. We just have to remember that to be a “rock of christ” we must find it within ourselves to pull ourselves out of the shame and self-condemnation and move forward one step at a time. Sucess is found on the other side of fear. Just as Peter gathered himself up and steadied himself to build the church he was rewared with the love of Christ and being able to see the resurection and it’s results. Imagine, having sinned so despartely and having Jesus appear and tell you. I told you on the night of passover you would fail. You cannot always be right in all things, Peter. I know your heart……..and your heart is why I chose you. Just as your heart is why the almightly spirit of all things has chosen YOU! TAG! You are it. On this rock, on you ……..YOU… I build the church. One soul and one heart at a time. In and out of church. Inside the love of the Lord no mistake is eternal.

Isn’t that wonderful news. No sin can keep you from accomplishing the task of your life. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. Nothing can change you path to peace. God is coming and he doesn’t care you are not perfect he made you, he loves what he made, and he adores……….. you……………..period.

Peter was a simple fisherman. He was not a learned man. He did not go to Princeton, or study with the greats. He was confounded and confused by Jesus. Like many of us he just knew that he loved him. That his message was true and that he was the Messiah. All the lofty and ceremonious words that were said never rang true with Peter. All he knew was that Jesus was the man and the god head he would follow to the end of his days. As Jesus tried to get he apostles to understand what was about to happen to him. Peter repeatly asked. Lord cannot I not follow you now. I go where you go I love you above all things. When Jesus explained to Peter that he would not only not be able to follow him throughout the path Peter was confused. He was ready willing and able. In Peters hurry to follow his call he had missed one very important idea. That he would have to be tested. Faith is active. It is the act of being asked a simple questions that requires that we respond in a very complicated way. If you answer to anything be it an act of faith or a simple change of diet. NO idea is as easy and the Yes that begins the path. The difficult part comes when you are asked day in and day out to make choices that are difficult. Peter had walked away from the simple path. He had not yet begun to realize that all things come in time. All commitments come at a price. ON the day he was asked to put down his net and follow Christ inspiration had poured into him and he had left behind his family and his routine. Now when the going got rough the apostles had choices to make just as we do. How do we take everything we have learned. All the lessons, practices, and peace and then put it on the line in real time. Not in suspended animation of the internet or in a prayerful morning. How do we as the heirs to peters call take up our ideals and love for others and desire for a new world and follow Christ. Do we accept our humaness or our mistakes as part of the game of life and roll with it or do we get knocked down so low that we cannot crawl back up onto our feet and admit our frailty and humaness. Peter thankfully understood that now only was he not ready for the ideas christ was imparting in him. He would come to learn that he was humbled and reached the bottom of his tool box on this journey. Spiritual awakenings take us to the depths of despair and disappointment and the the height of joy. Easter is the coming around of the new. It gives us a new start. But if we haven’t got the Easter idea and the idea of death and rebirth into our souls when we make mistakes, we will fall or fall short of our own expectations we will never be able to get past being jump started into a new journey of life.

I have waited for some to ask. Why do you have this lenten study entitled forty days to a new you and then today is lesson 24. The answer is not as easy and yes there are 40 days to lent, but we have to survive and resurrect our Easter for a lifetime to understand the call of Christ. SO our study will continue after the resurrection into our very own Acts……These are the quiet and contemplative days of this study. I have given you so much information, exercises, prayers and practices. That today through Sunday I want us to concentrate on the final act. The sacrifice. The apostles being very real men with very real problems of hunger, making living, spreading the word of God, hiding from the law and making a stand. What had they gotten into? And what commitments are you ready to make?

Today we are the apostles will we run, deny, flee? Of course we will.  We will also be able to take note that we know as humans we will make mistakes, settle out accounts, apologize, reboot and restart. Will we have the strength to take the ride of a lifetime? Just like you the apostles were asked everyday to give more than they could, make a change where ever they could and keep going. Just like you they got overwhelmned, overworked, and had challenges. But we have a choice. Do we make this a defining moment of sucess in our lives? Do we take the good and the bad? DO we take a minute each day and re-boot and keep going even when it seems the world is against us. And will we be ready to take the reward. Take the sucess, love, abundance and treasure of friends and peace that God will send your way. We have a job to do. Are we ready. Today Christ carried his cross and died on it, 72 years later Peter would ask to be crucified upside down, as not to be held in the same esteem as christ. But he died for his belief in him. Are we ready for the blood of Christ to make us new and the good and bad that will bring. Steady yourself for the new life. For three days Jesus was dead. Three days the apostles hid and feared and waiting trying to remember every word and all the ramifacations of thier actions. Three days until the glorified Jesus was raised from the dead and showed the men that death had no hold on them here any longer. We could face the rest; because we would live in glory with God in all eternity. The kingdom of heaven is within. Behold……the Christ. Christ had died……..Peter had denied……Human nature is played out. And in the midst there is love. Love that beats doubt and fear and death and denial. Love that calls all things to it. Love that makes life pure and whole and free. Love that makes you whole. You have choosen it. Remember today it is the beginning.

I love you. Callie Broussard-Wheeler

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March 13, 2008

Forty Days to a New You! Lent Lesson 23 Day 23~ Stand

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Once Dante wrote that God is the love that stills the sun and set the stars in the sky.

I adore that. What did God do with You? Have you ever wondered what he is asking of you? I believe in my life he has asked several things. Many were optional. Many were ideas where free, and I had the free will to say yes or no to that path in life. But, then again, God has given me one true and undeniable charge. Tell the people you touch you love them and to stand. TELL THEM TO STAND? I get the I love you part. And I do by the way, love you all! It was the “stand” part I couldn’t understand for so long. I had to learn what it meant to “stand” first. Then after I did it I could learn to teach it.

Stand. Stand through the trials and tribulations and the joy and intense pleasure God will be sending our way. Stand when a loved one is ill, stand through the storms that will come. Stand through illness and abundance. Stand. It is the single most important gift we can give ourselves is prepare and learn, to stand. Prepare to take you cross and carry it or stand with it. The season of lent causes us to reflect on the idea that in all our joy there will come days that crash like waves across the shoreline. The only answer we will have when those storms and rip tides come in, is to stand.

When I approach Palm Sunday, I have this feeling of great respect, horror,of dread and fear. I feel so small and unbelivably unworthy of the gift of both Mary the Mother of Jesus and Jesus himself. In the days that Jesus was in the desert readying himself for his journey from ‘King~ to Sacrifice ~to Resurrection’. What was his mother doing? We watch as the world of christianity asks (what would jesus do) and we rarely think of his mother. What did she do? She stood she :stood. I am sure she was nailed straight through from heart to the rock under her feet. This boy who’s toes she kissed and counted, and who’s body she washed and fed: walked out into the desert to ready himself for the next two weeks. The last two weeks of his life. She knew the plan. She new the day he was presented in the temple in Jerusaluem, as a baby, that he would be crowned by the people the savoir they had been waiting for, then condemned by a nation and tortured then nailed to a cross to die. Could she have possibly understood what that sacrifice would mean! Could she have understood that resurrection was complete and physical? How could she no one has risen from the dead, before or since. Heaven only knows the fear and faith that precious woman must have felt. I cannot imagine how it must have felt everyday of a childs life the knowing. The thought of knowing you gave birth to him only to have him die, for others. To count the mintues and the hours and the days. I have had a son. I have seen him die. I know I would not have the faith this woman had, would you?

Many of my Protestant friends asks me, “Why do Catholics pray to Mary?” Well, that is not an entirely true statment. We as Catholics, (and remember the buddhist, catholic, presbyterian statement I am all three) ask Mary as a saint and the mother of our Lord to pray with us and for us. Asking God and her Son to intercede for us and with us. The reason being, there is nothing that she as a living woman and mother that she did not experience in her lifetime. Nothing.

She was the Mother to the King of Salvation. The Mother to a death row inmate, a disciple, a believer and a pregant teenager. She was tormented with religous truths that she couldn’t understand. And she accepted her fate and call from God with grace and poise, not to mention courage. She was also a woman who with great faith who decided when asked to STAND that she would.  She would accept God’s will and live her chosen life. She did not run from her duty. She was present. She was the great inspiration for all Mothers to come after her. She was even at the foot of the cross the day her son died, dressed his body and waited for his resurrection. She stood. Can you wrap your mind around that.

And today would be her Sabbath. Her last meal she could prepare for her boy.  Her final memory to impart in him. Her final Friday of peace before her son went out and announced his mission to the world. She must have cried a million tears and riveted herself just to make the sabbath meal glorious, and tend to her boy. We are not told if Jeus came home before he went out into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. But we know that he was with his Mother and dispciples. So I am sure he spent the day with her, among many. History does not say, but being together as Mother and Son I am sure was a priority. They likely talked about what was to come. I can imagine her cold fearful hand, and her knees locked in desperation! I can imagine tears of hot salty pride, in knowing she had done what God asked and Her son was ready……..but then the coming storm would have killed a normal person. Imagine……..twenty-four hours now..         Her son would become a man who is not only the sacrifice for all mankind and is arrested,condemend, humilated, beaten, crowned in thorns, and killed in the worst possible way………in her mind she must have been dying herself. No matter your faith you can identify with a mother and her son.  He was her son! Her only gift was to Stand.

She stood as my mother always has, in times of joy and in times of fear, in times of cancer and strain and when I rejoice. She is shedding tears now reading this devotional. Shaking in pride, joy and fear for me.

I am sure Mary stood to make sure Jesus could see her eyes and give him courage when the pain came and the weakness came. I am sure she walked along side him entering on the donkey being heralded as a king, and stood in front of the crowds of people yelling for his death. I bet she stood up as silently as my own Momma would while he was beaten and he looked at her and she did not blink.

Stand son, I taught you how, I have shown you, I will stand for you now, Look at me! I will be your strength, look into my eyes just as you did when fed from my body, look into my eyes now for comfort and strength. My eyes will carry you. I will not leave you. And as He died she stood for him at the foot of the cross. It is o.k. I am here sweet son. Watching for his last breath. Waiting to hear that Voice that called her 46 years ago to her and sent an angel to her.   Waiting for the moment when God opened the skies and said, ”This is my Son and I am well pleased” and then Jesus died. I am sure she was the one who took him down and washed him and prepared his body for burial. She had it all ready to cradle her son. She was waiting. She stood. Then she stood in faith waiting for him to rise from the dead. Waiting at the tomb. She stood.

So in our lives we are asked to stand for many reason. Can you? Can you stand for you son who is sick, your daughter who is in the military? Can you stand for the weak and the poor. The hungry and the tired. Can you stand for you dear ones? Can you be stronger than steel and do anything asked. Can you live you best life. The entrance is coming. And this sacrifice was given so you could say YES. I can stand. I have the Kingdom of God, within me. I can do what I have too and what I must and what I rejoice in that stand everyday.

Stand. This is the contemplation tonight. Palm Sunday is coming our Holy Week is almost here. Tonight was his Sabbath. Thank his Mother and yours.   The lesson tonight is to find the places in your life where you are asked to be glorified and stand, and to be hurt and stand. We as humans face these decisions daily. Where are you after 23 days. Are you ready to stand with your mantel and lead yourself to joy. Pay the price and do the work?

I am. I have been inspired. I have so many of you out there who have stood this week. Jennifer and Leenda, Bonnie and Deborah and Debbie, and Chris and Sue, Dee and her family. What is the saying ” there is no fool like an old fool who thinks he is immune to the human condition” we are all going to be asked to stand.  Each day situations arise that call for strength of heart. I have faith that we can! Lets get ready to ride into the life we were destined to live and STAND.

The Hail Mary

Hail Mary Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed are Thee amoung women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen

Well my own Momma who always cringes when mentioned here.. is getting abundant joy out of watching 25 years of Jesuit education come pouring through these pages.. so laugh with her. Pray with us. Light you candle at seven and thank God for the ability to stand and the strength to make the right decision. I will be thanking him for this loving community of believers who share with me. The light unites us in the Light of God. Remember where two or more are gathered in his name so shall he be also.

Many Blessing. This blog is dedicated to my dearest friend Vickie who has stood for her son and daughter all her life. And fought battles of joy and nightmares. She is a brave and inspiring lady. I love her dearly. And to my Momma who knows I am far to sentimental to put things down on paper about our journey. Although my life is so open….somethings there are sacrifices to big and gifts to great to talk about. She knows I know. Thank you Momma, she has always taken her place standing at all cost for us all.

Callie Broussard-Wheeler

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March 11, 2008

Forty Days to a New You! Lent Day 22 ~Lesson 22~Soul-Tending!

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The Practice of Soul Tending puts us in a place to be transformed by God’s grace. God uses our skill set and our practice like a tennis coach uses a practice to fine tune a players game. God uses your spiritual practices to fine tune your “life game”.

Whatever your faith practice happens to be, these lessons have tuned you in like a radio antenna to the signals of God. The point that has to be made before we head off on the lesson for today is that practice is vital. If you do not practice your faith, you have none. Practice is not about your attendance, although that is important. If you are of a faith that asks you to attend, then do it. The practice I am talking about today is of being present, living in the moment with God, and adding not only ritual, but recitation, to your life.

Your practice also marks you as a spiritual person on the inside and the out. Your life will show who you are, and you will be known by your fruit. Outwardly and inwardly. Most importantly, this practice will allow your body and soul to be ready to accept the holy gifts and boundries that God will set upon your life. God will take over the job as your “harbor master”. He will only allow good ships and good souls to dock in your life. No more will you fall victim to emotional vampires or divas. Your guard will allow you to know the limits of your giving, and send those folks and habits on their merry way. They will no longer be allowed to linger. So pay attention now, when your soul feels unrest…Pay Attention! God may be trying to get your attention!

Let’s describe the 6 characteristics of a soul-tending life.

1. We have invited God in, and we show Him daily that we are ready to spend the time working to put our soul and life on the right track. As we pratice not only love, we also cultivate obedience, thus establishing a closer relationship with God.

           A.) Just a note here. If you have followed this study you are doing this daily and should be feeling the rewards. Just keep going.

2. You and others will be able to notice and note the changes in you and the fruit of your labor.

3. Be involved in a community with others. Faith cannot flourish in a void. That is why we all grow as we study together.  Find a temple, mosk, or church, and go. Practice the faith. It is like Yoga, the practice will harness you, and also yoke you, to the love and spirit of God. It will also increase your ability to reap the rewards…as in adding the practices of yoga and buddhism to your Christianity. This is communion of the soul. Humans crave community, and faith thrives in it! Being able to pray with a friend and worship, or rejoice and play with them, also enhances your soul tending life.

4. Remember, religious practices are a continuation of ancient faiths and traditions.  Respect them, and find peace in the traditions. I worship at a Presbyterian Church. I adore the celebration of Sunday, and when Duncan is well enough, we are on the front row-front pew. But I also adore, and my soul will always lie in, the Mass. The Mass in the Catholic Church gives me peace and fills me. It allows me to be at one with God in a miracle. That is not a “celebration”, that is a “spiritual awakening”, that is both personal and private. Both are equally good, both are beautiful traditions. I also study my buddhism daily, chant my sanskrit prayers that my guru gave me, and pray the “om niva shiva”, as I have shared with you before. Yoga mends my body and quiets my mind. Give yourself room to grow in your own path. I wear my mala beads, veda beads, and pray my rosary. I bloom me! You bloom you! Your practice, and blooming, will give others the strength to be proud of thier faith.

5.Spiritual practice is a perfection we will never attain. It is the “journey”, not the “end”, nor the “beginning”, that matters. So many spiritual faiths practice on the idea that we are “heading to heaven”, and that is our only goal. I have an idea. Accept heaven…rejoice in the peace our changing of bodies will allow us at the end of our earthly lives. But focus on this earth, and the daily challenges you and God will conquer together! Just as Jesus knew his Father would be there to open the gate of His spirit to Him, He also knew He had to live this life…suffer it’s consequences and accept His joys and burdens with an open spirit. The key to happiness is living open to God’s desicions over and over again in your life. Just do as He guides you to do. If you are open, then you will bless both the beginnings of life and the endings, as well as your “journey with God”. God’s will be done.

6. Discernment is a practice we have talked about in this study. It is one of the most difficult, and rewarding, spiritual practices you will have to handle. It is very simple…accessing your skills, and asking yourself why were you brought into being? What gifts have been given only to you, that can change the world around you? Protestants will call it a “call”, Catholics will call it a “Vocation”. Each life is a “call” from God. Every job is a “vocation”. So is marriage and parenting. We have to look at our lives and asks ourselves, are we running toward our destiny…or away from it? Your talents are the special “armor” God gave you to march through the world armed. He wants you to use those talents! If you have a voice like an angel, then sing, if you can paint like no one else paints, then share it! Make your life focus on your talent. Do not bury those talents under mountains of fear! Sometimes we must understand, it is easier not to fly in glory. Don’t give into that!  You are worth more than that! Claim it-and begin! Affirmations will consisitantly come to show you that you are on the right track. Try living the life of abundance God meant for you to have and see what happens! I bet you are happier and more fulfilled…and more blessed! We are blessed so that we may bless others! That applies to all your talents. My life has taken me down so many roads…in the end, God took all of those experiences, tied them into a bow, and gave me the gift of a mission, to set my soul on fire! For many years I pushed away my strengths, afraid to suceed. NO more!  Today, I find something new out about myself and I share it, cultivate it, and motivate with it. I try to give it all away. I have never been happier! And neither will you!

Now, this is a lot to take in at one time. It amazes me to think that Jesus was in the desert now, thinking about what was facing Him and struggling with the fears, and allowing God to fill Him up. Courage is a gift. So let us all take our time in the desert and ask, “What cup do you have for me, Lord?” Then evaluate and discern. The time for setting our seeds is quickly coming to an end. What will your Easter look like? Just like you, I am discerning mine. If you have an idea you would like to share, please do.

Again tonight, I come to you and ask for prayers……not only for the friends that come here often — My lovelies…Dr. Sue, who is having pain and MS and battling for answers, Chris on her trip to Texas, Leenda on her joyful life of sharing love, but also for the two friends we have been battling for in prayer all week. For Dee……she is not much better or any better…I hate to be negative. She is a very sick pup, and her body is exhausted from pain! Her beautiful sister Kylie, and her Momma C, and Christine her cousin, and all her family flying in from around the world. May they all find peace and healing. Healing, we pray is a cure…but if not, we pray for peace. God’s will be done. Right! Well thanks. I am looking forward to sharing this next week with you all. Palm Sunday is this Sunday, and we have a full week of living a sacrafice, and a renewal, ahead. My love to you all! We are still praying the rosary at midnight for Jennnifer, and lighting a candle at seven to unite us all in prayer, and in light, which is the Spirit of the Lord…Where two or more are gathered in His name, so shall He be also!

Shalom.

Callie Broussard-Wheeler

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March 10, 2008

Forty Days to a New You! Lent Day 21~Lesson ~21 Lenten Rules~ Spring Cleaning

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Well now if your following along with this study this weekend you spent time taking an inventory of your spiritual house and making note of chores. It may surprise you to know that in Latin the word Lent means Springtime!! I love that. This is the springtime of our souls. We have tilled the soul and cultivated the bulbs of hope and renewal. And now.. soon spring and life will burst through all this work and make the garden of our soul spring forth. I am so excited about that. A new year. And we are entering it like a new bunny playing among the easter baskets and joys.

In the Jewish households all over the world this week is spent housecleaning. Getting ready for the celebration of Passover which begins at sun down on April 10th. I love love love passover. I will be posting a Sedar meal here and if you are not Jewish and are Christian give it a try. Christ celebrated this holiday and it is remarkably beautiful. We have a sedar each year.

Now back to our work. After journal keeping this weekend we have a good list and a work in progress list. So we need to get back to work. We are really moving in this study and as all thing pass in time. I hope that some of these practices stick and you enjoy them. This prayerful writing and journaling with God is one of the most important practices we can have. It not only gives us a time of contemplation each day. If gives us the great counselor. The holy spirit that will guide of through the changes we so despartely want in our lives.

What did you find that needed to be worked on. What habits did you find you would like to eliminate or cultivate? Have you enjoyed the walk. I can tell you that I feel so close to God these days. I feel as though I would hate to say his name in vain for He is my friend and we are communicating. I never want to hurt another but I have found that by being present I am more likely to notice if my pharmacist has a cold, or someone I talk to needs just a bit more time. My ease with others is growing. I actually have slowed down. I even let someone take my photo with out my southern slathering of make-up for the day on.. ha… growth. well some things like vanity can really get you. My mother swears there is no reason even death that could possibly facilitate leaving your home without diamond and lipstick. And we are under strict instructions that were she to die at home. Full drag must be done before calling an abulance. People talk. ( well we have been very serious. SO a little humor is ok! ) It is the truth though..

Now lets get down to our practice and see how we can take this auto-biography and turn it into a spiritual pattern that sets our life on our track for Easter. First it is nice to take note that Jesus was also still in the desert praying and fasting and preparing His soul and mind for the battle to come. He new the stakes. Rome was a sophisticated place and he new the governors were calling for His death. He also had studied his Judism since he was a child and new what would happen to His body, His life and His followers. This radical man. Remember the meaning of radical is get to the root of the idea. Was about to make his entrance as the King of Kings into Jeruselum the heart of Judisam at the time and Declare without doubt his inheritance to the throne of God. He also knew he would be arrested and beaten and put to death. He had prayed that God allow this cup to pass and was given the answer NO from his Father. He had been tempted with ruling the world and showing himself by spirits that had no hold on his world. Another words he has been through the ringer. And throughout the process he was growing stronger gaining strength of character and mind. Very few of us will face crucifiction but we are facing disease, and the reality that life can have challenges that the mind and soul cannot easily deal with.

Needless to say this is our week. We are not looking up verses this week or hearing lengthy definitions and long essays. We have work to do. We have to find a solution to facsilitate our desires of the passing over of the bad in our lives and the acceptance of the abundance that awaits us! The key to this lock is can you get our of your own way.

Lets set some rules:

1. Do not judge yourself or others.

2. See your immediate responce to things is funneled through your experiences and accept that from others.

3. Do not be afraid to fail. We are going to fail in being perfect spiritual creatures. There is no perfect. God love you.

4. Love yourself and give yourself the break you give others.

5. Forgive yourself.

6. Empower yourself. Baby steps folks.. each day change a little something. This process will last a year or a lifetime as in my case.

7. Empower others. By giving we recieve. Not by taking or hoarding. So give abundantly.

8. There truely is a time for all things under heaven. Mourn, laugh loudly, plant, sow, bury, give birth to lives and to yourself everyday.

9. Find a spiritual practice that feeds you and practice it. You cannot be something without practice. So if you are a Christian practice the faiths and obeys the laws.. the same goes for Jew, Islamic, Buddhist. Walk it and talk it.

10. Love God ad communicate with him. Spread the love and it will come back to you.

OK. We have an intense week. We have to get these ideas down and make them stick. So pull out your Bible, Quoron, Torah, or Vedas and get to work.

Tomorrow we start with number one. Tonight we look at the overview and see just how we can handle and impress these ideas on our hearts. It is put up or shut up time. We have incorparated prayer, meditation, repenntance, Talking to God thru journaling and taking a break for our bodies and minds. It is time to form a life practice that will take us thru the year. A to do list. So I am starting tonight making mine.

I have some very important prayers to ask for now……….. please dear friends pray with me. First my friend Dee is in serious trouble and we have been praying for her in groups. Please join is a nine and pray for her sweet body to respond to the anitbiotics and chemo and lessen her pain. I also will put here that it is also very important to add Gods will be done not mine. Also please pray for my Jennifer of the rosary hour. We are still praying for her but she lost her father in law to an awful cancer just a year after losing the same battle with her fathers. She is so down and fighting her own heath issues. Please pray for Leenda, Dr. Sue and Chris is thier cancer battles. And know I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now if you know anyone that needs our help send them our way. And please light your candle at seven and remember where two or more are gathered in his name so shall he be also. Praise be to God.

Many Blessing in your hard night of work. We are taking a sacred journey. Treat it that way. God is pleased. We are in the grip of grace and for some are the grip of grace. Love hard folks.

Callie Broussard-Wheeler

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March 8, 2008

Forty Days to a New You Lent Day 20 Lesson 20 Solitude

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Life is busy isn’t it? I cannot imagine life in a fishbowl. So many of my friends have lives that are very public this being said I never really realized how very public my life is. It is amazing how much time you give to others. This being said. I have spent the day trying to have some alone time with my husband. HA. Will that happen. We found out not in downtown. I am not complaining I am just about to head into a subject that leads us to solitude. After many of us spend our days giving to our jobs, our families, our churches and out volunteer organizations and friends. Where do we end up. Do you give yourself time. And where do you find the time.

To be honest morning is my private oasis of time. I luxuriate in it. I take my time waking and if I don’t have a meeting or speaking engagement of emergency I may still be there at eleven thirty. Then again I work until three in the morning so it balances out. There was a time when I was up at 5 had Duncan’s breakfast cooked and gourmet lunch packed. I had shirts starched and hand towels pressed by ten and I am talking the Argo Starch, old fashioned stand alone starch. The I was off to work. Balancing catering presentations or teaching college with family life. I had a garden and at time and really relished in making our homelife and my catering bs. life perfect. Today I have a very different life. It does change. Duncan has IV meds that have to be run from 7 in the morning until one so he cannot even move until one. He has needs that are met by me and Rose his nurse and my lifesaver. Then we are off and running. We make tracks between one and seven. I have noticed though that until I started this devotional I had not really taken time for me. I kept the chore wagon running in the morning and then emailed and finished presentaions for work. Wrote my grants over coffee and taking the dog for a walk. It was hectic.

Now, my schedule has changed. I am not looking at my yoga teacher going hurry this up honey, I have a meeting. I am always scheduled to the minute. Now I wake and take some time and do my written prayer, I have now incorparated my prayer of release and meditation with it. I also do my Yoga. And today I began my prayer journal. I started my spiritual auto-biography and realized God and I need some alone time. I spend hours listening to peoples problems. I have phone calls that last two and three hours for counseling that others need. But I had not given myself that release. That talk with Debbie yesterday made me realize that I needed to put a little more energy back into making Callie. Becoming one with my walk. It is funny that when you poor husband or Mom tells you this you ignore it. Not intentionally but by default. I bet Debbie is still wondering what miraclous things she said. It was more what she didn’t say. That is a friend. You have to talk it and walk it you know. That being said today’s lesson is about solitude.

Solitude. For most of us that idea is as forgien as getting to take a moment in the bathroom without the phone ringing or someone hollering through the door something inarticulate. So our practice for today is to carve out just a bit of alone time in our day.. I thought since we were practicing the morning prayer time and being centered that now at lunch we would calm it down and just stop. And yes you must take a lunch,and then we should take a walk. Now in this practice I am not going to advocate prayer or internal dialogue I am going to ask you to rest. Try and rest your mind. Turn off your phone and just walk for 15 minutes of your hour lunch. Sit under a tree behind your office or just smell the rain on those days when moving beyond the portico is not possible. Take some you time. Peace is not achieved through constant noise. Buddha and Jesus and most great holy men and women will tell you that quiet is a practice that your soul is longing for you to give it. Both Buddha and Jesus spent time alone in deserts, under trees, and absorbing the world around them. So this will give you a chance to stop the noise. Stop the prayers, stop the thinking and become at one with your heartbeat and your breathing. Relax. It is very important to your overall health and your spiritual health. Even spiritual practice can be to much if you haven’t had a chance to connect with yourself. So this excersice is short and sweet today… Sunday the 9th of March begin to walk ALONE for ten or fifteen minutes.. clear you mind and rest. It is the sabbath. And God said on the seventh day rest. We should do that. And we should rest a bit each day. This will allow our mucsles we are building this lent to flex grow stronger and gather strength. Now just don’t think about anything. This may be the hardest lesson of lent. Let’s see how it goes.

Now keep your journal this weekend and we will be referring back to it this week. Tonight we are having a special prayer time. At nine central we have 200 folks praying for a dear friend Dee who is in the hospital and very very sick. She has CAP a type of pneumonia, she has broken ribs that punctured her kidney and just underwent surgery. She as stomach cancer stage III so she is on anitbiotics but cannot tolerate a lot of pain meds… So she is not getting much relief. Her family and friends are exhausted and scared, so pray with us. We are still praying the rosary at midnight for Jennifer and the gang and light your candle at seven and know that we are all joined in the light that is the Light of the world. The blessing is where two or more are gathered in His name so shall he be also.

Now let me hear how it goes, this silent alone time. I am thinking …..I will be struggling against it. It is nessasary. Keep us updated on your progress and know you are loved.

Many Blessings.

Callie Broussard-Wheeler

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March 7, 2008

Forty Days to a New You!~ Lent Day 19 Lesson 19! Golden Rules.

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Debbie and Precious Samantha

Rules, Rules, Rules! Where do you start? This week has been such a learning experience. I have to share with you that my soul is changing each and everyday. This week even in this lenten study you are going to hear a lot about my partner in the book writing buisness and lessons she and I learn together. After talking with her last night I learned so much. Well I was really wasting her time. After my monthly epidurals my sensitive side was showing and I had some chaffed feeling. She made the most amazing statement. And this is why I love Debbie so much! She said honey, “everything we do we do is out of love and sharing love in our lives. It is not always like that on this earth!” Then she sat with silence and I felt peace come over me. Normally in my life when my feeling have been hurt it is when I have offered to much of myself and been rejected or pushed away. My gift is to give. Not to receive.. I had gotten off point. I had tried to give a gift and it was misunderstood and voila.. pistol packing Callie all confident and managed was reduced to a doubting hurt kid. Always when you get on the pity party you need a friend you asks nothing from you: but can drop the truth on you like a bomb. My partner is one of those people. So this little lesson sent me to take a minute. Evaluate this journey we are all on. This is a journey to learn about walking closer to God and making our inner journey more selfless and centered in the mystical side of the Creator. It was time for a lesson and practice on the Golden Rule as we were taught in Sunday School with a little twicking.

DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. BUT ASK NOTHING IN RETURN….GIVING IS THE GIFT..

Boy, that is a lot of information if you really try to live it. Ever try to listen to someone prattle on in a line in the wal-mart, or put strangers ahead of you in line, or even learn from some else’s outrage or pain. Not taking things personally is a big step. Much harder than just living in the giving. How do we begin as loving souls to take our feelings out of anothers replies or action toward us. It is a problem in daily life and it takes work. If someone growls at you on the phone or a loved one calls just to ask an opinion only to then argue with you about it. How do we separate thier misery and learn from it! Allowing us to be more attentive. Giving is receiving. It is the sheer act of making the world a different place. If should not be mandated on what you will receive or what is in it for you. That is not giving. It is switching the bait. I will care about you as long as you do this for me. Well….. Me is a dirty little word. It is a phrase that is ego driven. We have talked about the ego before. Our egos are the opposite of our higher self they are our inner child. The ego need attention at all time. Good, Bad, or indifferent. If we are honest about our journey to peace and a walk with God then we know we have to tame the ego.

There was a time in my life when I worked as a vet tech and ranch hand. In that time we would have to tackle a wounded animal at times and tie it up. Sometimes the rodeo we are all dealing with are those little doggies called opinions, sense of self, pride, greed, social status… this list is never ending. It is the result of our internal dialogue on the self. God is not interested in you ability to make a living. He is interested in your ability to make a way for someone else. In giving we receive.   As we have wrestled with taming our minds, bodies and outlooks it is time for us to venture into allowing ourselves to be available to others without having a bruised ego if the gift is pushed away. Then we need the ability to return to the rodeo day after day to subdue those little doggies in our mind and make way for growth and love, forgiveness and unconditional giving.

So far we are defining what will turn into a spiritual auto-biography. We are not only defining our areas where growth is needed and adding powerful excersices to allow us to experience God more fully, hourly. We have to take an inventory and see where we are and what progress we have made but what progress we need to make.

The gift of life is the greatest gift God has given each of us. How we use that gift and express God’s love in our lives is the greatest gift we can give God and ourselves. In many ways when interacting with others we miss the act of HIS prescence. We miss the opportunity to see God in each person or interaction. This can leave us hurt and feeling cut off or lonely. Personal contact with strangers and friends allow us a small interaction with another side of GOD. Each person is a reflection of perfection, that is god. And inside that perfections there flaws are out opportunities for growth. People always ask me why I say that we are perfect in our imperfections and I have to answer because God made roses with thorns… we are not meant to be unreal. God likes real life. Muddy, happy, complicated real life.

So if we can realize that not only are we here with God he is here with us, all the time. In your world and in your life God has left sparks of the divine that can be acessed if we practice. This will make us understand the world around us better and relate to it better. Tame the ego and let God work.

God offers us grace daily — the power to become what God desires for us and to reach out and soothe the hurting and spread love. Love is life’s boomarang. Give it out 9 times out of 10 it will come back with much more then it left you with. On the other hand the ego is life’s brick wall. Get caught up in it and boom you stop growing and just stand there like some victim in an Edger Alan Poe story. I have always hated the story he wrote about he man being bricked into the closet. But, it is so relavent to what we do with our pain and hurt. We brick ourselves in. We nurse our pain instead of letting it go and we make that pain our badge of courage.. What a temptation that is and how dangerous. It allows your ego to filter every statement made to you and your feelings!  Danger!!! It is hurtful and fruitless when all our interactions are filtered through your pain. Bad move. It leads to more pain. We sow what we reap internally to. Sow victim and you life will only reap circumstances filled with pain. Sow courage and you will conquer the world. So greed and you sooner or later will make Money or popularity your God and then when you are not being stroked by others you will be in a hole that you cannot dig out of with a silver spoon. Give to others and abudance will follow you all the days of your life.

So our plan today is to take a minute this Saturday and write your spiritual auto-biography.   This should take less that twenty minutes. Then take and write down our achilles heels. This practice will set us up for the week we are going to explore ourselves and grow. We are growing into our resurrection. When we celebrate Easter we will have changed our habits and our lives in order to live this new year from Easter to Easter with new habits and a new foundation of faith.

This auto-biography needs to be real and honest. No one will see it but you. And don’t beat yourself up or pat yourself on the back to much. We are making an outline to grow on. I am looking forward to working on mine today and learning more about how this devotional has affected me. This will be the beginning of a prayer journal. You may have started one with the prayerful writing each morning. Put it there. We can check on it in a year. But for now. Get ready.. we have lots of practices that can get our minds and body ready for Easter. We are detoxing our soul. We also will build upon prayer, meditation,fasting, prayerful confession, worship, journaling, solitude, mindful movement, service, guidance and celebration.. just think we are halfway there.

I have to tell you that I work daily like all of you to deepend my walk with my Lord and this devotional has changed me so much. I am actually practicing it all more and taking more time in my day to tune out the hurry hurry tick tick of life and seeing that God is smiling because I care. I cannot wait to hear how you are doing. I love hearing from you. Join in and list books you love and check the prayer list. My partner and guru Debbie just told me about “Blessed unrest” I cannot wait to read it. I am in the middle of the Bible study and a friend sent me a Quran so I am reading the prayers it is lovely. Growth happens everywhere.. It is spring.

Have a happy and restful weekend and join us at midnight for the rosary for Jennifer and the gang and light your candle at 7 p.m. and say a prayer with us. We are all joined in the light of the Lord and this little act joins us all in prayer. Where two are more are gathered in His name He shall be there also.

Quick Add on my friend Jennifer we are praying the Rosary for has asked that all of us stop at ten o’clock ohio time that is nine alabama time adjust for your area and pray for a mutal friend Dee. She is very sick, cancer, surgeries and staph( and infection called CAP it is like staph.) and she has just had a night of convulsions and fever of 105 we need some intervention here. SO please join us in prayers of healing.

Many Blessings.

Callie

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March 4, 2008

Forty Days to a New You! Lent Lesson 18 Day 18 Prayerful Movements!

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I have had many fabulous teachers in my life. It is strange how the bad things that happen to you can end up teaching you so much. I have been training my mind for years. In the last year, I began training my body. I will never again be an olympic soccer player or a ballerina. My toeshoes, however, sit beside my bed reminding me of those dreams. I can, however, understand that just as God asks obedience from us through our thoughts and actions he also want us to have a healthy body.

Think of your life as a three legged stool. One is the leg is the spirit, one is the mind, and one is the body. If you train your body to listen to you mind well  you can overcome anything. Bodies are sometimes our waterloo. We can be specialist in our jobs and diligent when working on deeping our spiritual relationship with ourselves and God. But about three hours after your morning prayers the idea of “the body as your temple” goes right out the window! Just as we roll said window down and slide a debit card for an IN and OUT burger all the while knowing that this action will affect us all day. Those happy burgers that just drip with loving goodness cause depression, disease and cloud the mind and destroy your senses. You would no more put sugar in your gas tank than poison in your nightly supper. But without thinking you will grab a coke, join some weight watching club that advocates eating white sugar free/carb free bread without calories for so many points. Funny then we wonder why we cannot keep our minds focused and our bodies going. I am here to change you mind. And change your mindset on having a healthy body that will respond to the calls God puts in front of it. Now I am not going to lecture anyone on wieght or eating.. Well, I will, but not here: on the cancer pages. In a few days there will be a healthy diet that you can use to build you bodies immune system and change your life forever. I am not talking about a diet. I am talking about a life change to be healthier more in control. Today I will say, that without taking care of the full package, we cannot truely be living in prayer.

If you have read this site. You know that I have had some really serious health concerns. And I have learned through those concerns to harness the power that I still have in my body to build a better more healthy way of life. Why you may ask am I entering into this relm? Here is your answer.

As a spritual being. You cannot fully concentrate on transendence while nintey percent of your mind is focusing on the physical relm ! We are either nursing disease: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, smokers cough or uncontrolled pain from disease! It is all controlling your thoughts. We may not be able to cure these things but we can heal our bodies and not continue the destruction. Nor can you meditate if you need a cigarette, or other stimulant. People!!!! Your body needs a break. When I am in pain. My walk with God consists of ” Help! I am going to die! Help me Jesus!” prayers. Those are not how would you say…. full of growth, now are they?

I hesitate to address this but, here goes. We need to clean the temple floors, people. We need to work daily to put the cigarettes out, eat a balanced diet and take a walk. We need to take the stairs instead of the elevator and for heaven sakes don’t circle the Winn Dixie parking lot five time waiting for the closest parking space to empty. Chose the stairs! And in that time that you climb the stairs take a mintue and look up…. and pray…..All breaks give us a chance to reconnect to God. Remember our breath is the essence of God’s energy within us and when we are huffing and puffing after climbing the stairs every cell in our body is full of life giving oxygen and God energy. So, today we are going to talk about our moving our bodies as prayer. Now this may be a forgien idea to some. It may take getting use to. When you see a horse or a cat run or play do you realize that thier unconcious act of BEING  itself is glorifying God. So are we if we use our parts. We are glorifying God.  We have to get moving. We need to focus on that moving too.

Have you moved your toes today, how about wiggled in your seat, felt you back and neck stretch. We need to connect with ourselves. Deliberately. We must move. In physical therapy they teach you that you must concentrate on feeling each part of your body with your mind. Be aware. If you take a moment and focus on your big toe I bet you will be surprised you felt it. Because you probley haven’t thought about it this morning unless you stubbed it! Then you thought about the poor neglected thing. What about your pinky finger have you thanked it for being there today. So take a minute and connect with each part of you.

Duncan has a wonderful physical therapist named Wanda. She has been vital to his recovery. She would have him lay in bed when he couldn’t move at all and concentrate on feeling his feet and toes and moving that concentration up to every part of his body. It is a wonderful act… can you feel your birthday button??. Then work on moving each part one after the other. She was so important to his healing. He would have never walked again is she wouldn’t have allowed us to stretch him into pretzel like yoga positions daily and force his body into behaving. But this small idea of connecting with his entire being was the beginning and it works. It is funny how aware of things you are once your focus has shifted.

Mark 7:14

Then he called the crowd to him and aid to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand this: nothing outside a man can defile him by entering him it is what comes from him that defiles him, If anyone has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him listen to this.”

Now you can take this many way. Today it moved me to understand that my deeds are the things that hurt me.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself and nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of your principle.”

I love that saying. How true. During our lenten devotional we are finding our principles. Our lessons of life and starting new. I love this approach to lent because in the process of obtaining new goals and habits you begin to lose the old ones. In this modern world we have forgotten how!  The manner in which we spend our days just slip by. Our habits are horrid. We spend time mindlessly preparing our work, caring for our families, and our lives. Going through our days on auto pilot. But we have forgotten just how much in life is mindlessness. That very mindlessness can eat away your days, thoughts, time, energy and caring. That mindlessness turns into depression and a savage hunt for the next fix. Have you noticed that, in these days of technology and noise, our minds cannot concentrate on the simple words in a book. Take a look at a page on a computer or even the television. We must now have a news program, be on the computer and if that is not enough we have a news crawl on the bottom of the program telling us something else. Then every 11 minutes we have a 2.5 minute commercial that bombards us with information, our telephones are never silent and they have entertainment on them now. We have made sure that we do not consider our bodies or our thoughts until bedtime. And we wonder why in this generation insomnia is a huge problem. It is quiet so we cannot sleep. We are taught all day that we cannot move in prayer or think in quiet. I am advocating a change.

First we must take time out of each hour. If you work at a desk. Once an hour go to the bathroom even if it is not nessasary. Take a minute to walk there with intention. No cell phone no notes. Just you. Walk the hall in silence. Build the moments. So if you have an eight hour day at work then that is 5 minutes eight times a day. Walk in silence…. If you have to run an errand. Turn off the phone. If you cannot go to the store, park the car without noise you mind is not controlled and niether is you body. As you take the stairs or do an errand you may have to begin with a mantra to keep your mind quiet. So have a mantra ready. Once you master this then learn to master the silence.

A mantra is a prayer you determine. Or it is a prayer you love. Do you know why people say Om? Om is not a silly practice if you recite Om you tickle the vasal nerve that runs from behing your nose through and around every major nerve and organ center in your body. It causes you adrenal gland to secret endorphins that naturally calm you and relax the body that is why for centuries Yogi’s have chanted Om.

So try that. I have a friend that says her favorite prayer the “Our Father” while climbing stairs it settles her mind and brings her back to her walk with God in her daily life. My favorite it Om niva shivia which means I rest in the divine, which rest in me. So I just hum along in my head. Om-niva-shivia. I think it is beautiful. The point to this whole excersice is to continue our walk with God all day. To take breaks to spend time with Him and center out minds. We are in work-out mode. We are building our prayer muscle so that in the mornings when we meditate we are able to listen. It is essential that we develop both mucsles: movement and silence are prayer.

So today our practice is to begin each morning quietly and after our morning prayers. Take a minute to say good morning to all your parts.. Smile all the way to your liver as the Indonesians say. I love that. Is your liver smiling? Make sure it is. Secondly we are going to take breaks each hour and connect with our sense of peace and with God. You will be amazed at how you look forward to this time and how much it cuts down on stress. Third we are going to do what we can. If we have limits stretch them just a bit each day. Walk from the parking lot in to a store. Park a bit farther. Take the stairs! And remember this time is for you and God so pick a mantra. It could be as simple as thank you. Just keep repeating this. This practice is called mindful walking. In Yoga they say only a master Yogi can take 8 steps without a single thought. Try it.

Now, I Cannot wait to hear how you day goes tomorrow. Let me know how all the new ideas make you feel. We are still lighting our candle at seven to unify us all in study and prayer the light is the energy of God. And we are still praying the rosary at midnight so join us. We now have about 300 folks praying together and adding new practices into thier lives. I have added a prayer page.. feel free to post prayer requests and needs. We will all be able to go there as we like and pray for the intentions. Remember were two are more are gathered in His name He shall be there also. Please make a special prayer for two friend of mine. Masha and Dee both are in my CSC posse and both are in the hospital. Keep looking out for the Basic Eating Plan. It will rock your world. We are going back to nature. We have experts and ideas that make changes easy and help your health build. We want us all to have a happy and healthy life filled with God and peace.

Many Blessings.

Callie Broussard-Wheeler

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March 3, 2008

Forty Days to a New You! Lent Day 17 Lesson 17 Practice Makes Prescense!

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We have all heard that practice makes perfect. The sheer act of being prescent for God is a practice. Even today when all the world hammers away at the message that: it’s cool do what you want! Just be you. Let go and Let God. Well, I don’t know where the idea comes from but I do know that it is a gift to spend time being with God. I know that God wants you fully engaged. When we are fully engaged you give God the opportunity to be a fully engaged with you.  We need to allow Him to walk each step of life this life with us.

I think that the idea of being specific with God is very important. As we talked yesterday it is a given that God knows our needs and thought the question is do you? As we begin to practice being specific we need to understand a few things. One, that we are not only defining the idea of ourselves but, we are also defining the idea of ourselves within the Creator.

Imagine with me for a mintue. You are on a beach and find the lamp with the genie inside! Whoo Hoo! … Now here is the part where you get three wishes.

We all know the story. Genie make me clear of heart, as my first wish. Genie make me open to my dream job! And Genie for my last wish please take all my worries from me. Well tomorrow you wake with your wishes granted! You are now an amnesiac who cannot remember his worries, you lost your job because you cannot remember your name so you were fired for health reasons! So your job opportunities are wide open. Then you are informed by the doctor who examines you for the amnesia that you have clogged arteries  and now need to have open heart surgery! Thanks A LOT Genie!!!

Thank goodness, God does not work like that. Often though we treat God as though he was a Genie asking for wishes and praying for bailouts but never doing their half of the work.  We as a people are not praying in a manner that will allow God to work in our lives. So, we must get down to the nitty gritty with the Lord. I do not believe that you should use God as a drive through window of wants and worries. You should be specific in thanks, repentance, and requests.  Never forget we should glorify Him.

I have a funny story to tell you. One of my darling neices.. I have many, only one belongs to my sister. But Auntie Callie is in full swing all the time. This neice was coming back from a day at the beach and she was in full five year old grumpy grump mode. Her Mom being the patient and a really good child psch.( I have a lot of friends in the counselor, shrink, social services area,you can tell). Well she decided they would play a game her father played with she and her sister. They would pretend they were at Camp Complain-a-lota! For the next 40 minutes you must complain about everything that bothers you but, once home before you get out of the car you have to list what makes you happy. Well, this little one got right into the spirit!  She complained the entire way home, and being a lot like her Mom, still had things to say when the car came to a stop! Now the time had come to list her blessings she was in the drive way at home. Now her Mom said, “You have to list all the things you are happy and grateful for!” Well this little angel with hands on five year old hips and tosseled blond hair exclaims, “Momma we are home, I am tired and that would take days!  There are so many, hundreds of those!” Ha! Perfect. Her frustrations were gone and she realized she was frustrated and life was good.

Well sometimes we use our time with God like Camp Complain-a-lota or maybe Camp Get-me-out-athis-mess-alota! In this study we need to bring practices into our lives that allow time for both our cares and worries but also for our praise and listening.

Today we are going to begin our physical exercises that relate back, to the beginning of this study. We are going to earn our blackbelts in prayerfulness. Today, we are going to begin our day with gettting up 40 minutes earlier or you can go to bed forty minutes later. Whichever you find suits your life. I like the idea of beginning my day engaged in a dialoge with God and continuing it until sleep.

1. So we begin your 40 minutes with a prayer of thanks.

2. Then we do our writing prayer explained in yesterday’s devotional.

3. Now we should have 20 to 30 minutes to devote this week to “breathing” to quiet the mind and body and realize joy.

      A.) This is were the listening to God comes in basically we are learning to practice meditation. That word can be a bit intimidating to people like me who have trouble sitting still so we are just going to begin by giving ourselves permission. This relationship with God is the most important relationship of your life. It will build just like a muscle if we use it.

4. Breathing:

      A.) Sit in full or half lotus (crossed leg position) if you are more comfortable in a chair just place both feet on the floor and hand turned palms up on knees.

      B.)Follow your breath. When your mind and body are quiet and it make take a while, begin to concentrate on breathing in and out.

      C.) In your mind keep the thought or mantra’s in mind. For the first three breaths begin by repeating:

“I am breathing in and making my body fill with the light of the Lord. I am exhaling all the darkness and the light is filling me.”

        This will give rise to mindful breathing. You are fully present and God is fully present. Continue doing this.

        D.) For the next three breaths:  Repeat on these three breaths this mantra

“I am breathing in and filling my body with the Joy of the Lord. On the exhale, I am breathing out the unhappiness and God’s Joy is filling every nook and craney of me.”

Smiles may just begin so let them.

    E.) Now for the next three slow breaths. repeat this mantra:

“I am breathing in the peace of the Lord. On the exhale I am breathing out all the things that make me uneasy and the peace of God is filling me and I am becoming quiet and settled.”

By the third breath the mind and body will relax the smile will calm to a knowing small smile and you may even feel very relaxed and joyful.

    F.) When you feel you body wanting to stop, gently lift you hands and massage you eyes do not open them.  While rubbing your eyes think:

“I am wiping away the my old world from view and when I open my eyes I will see the glorious mircles God has sent my way this day.

    G.) Then move your hands down over your face, hold them over your face and repeat:

”This face and mind God has filled with joy, peace, and and his light. Allow me to give that energy to others today.  Help me not to take on negative energy that comes my direction.”

    H.) The place your hand over your heart. And repeat this mantra:

“ God has filled my heart with peace, love , joy and light.”

I will share that today! When things get hectic, I can raise a hand to my heart and feel it beat. The beat of it will be there to remind me of the love and peace, of the Lord.

     I.) Now return your hands palms up, to the beginning sitting position.  Don’t forget to thank God for the time you have spent together.

     J.) Now get up, smile and enjoy your day.

If you do this practice each day. Your most hectic days will have a pace that you have set.  Most importantly your heart will be at peace. While you continue this practice for the next seven days remember that sometimes are minds are hard to settle. Just begin by the end of a seven day week you will have started a habit that will allow you time with God.

As the next 20 days arrive we will add an exersice or thought to our relationship. These practices will inspire and enrich you life. Keeping God in your day reminds us that His love is so large that we are all held within it.

And remember that Jesus, Buddha and many spiritual teachers recommended sitting in silence and practicing spending time with God. It is the way to peace. Put peace into your day. Your will be like money in the bank when your peace account is full from daily deposits it will be ready for withdrawal when you need it.

We are still saying the rosary each midnight for our friends please join us. And light your candle at seven. Remember where two or more are gathered in his name so shall He be. I am going to start a list of prayers and intentions. Tomorrow there will be a page set up.. Please if you wish prayers or intentions list them. Hundreds of us are praying together!  It is wonderful! Now we need to get specific there too. Names are not nessasary if you need privacy.. but if not.. post away. I have also added a book list.. Feel free to add books you love… leave us a comment. I love hearing from you so post away.. Any thoughts? How is your journey going? Please know you are always in my thoughts and prayers.

Many Blessings!

Callie Broussard-Wheeler

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