November 30, 2011
Observe quietly today: Is there some way to reach out, to extend an invitation, to care, to share? In winding down my last few weeks at my current company, I have plenty of time for observation lately. I'm observing busy bees around the office, bustling to make the clients and consultants happy while maintaining their own sanity. I'm observing intimate meetings with coworkers where we laugh and joke around, but really hone in on some amazing new ideas for the business. I realize no one can run the company alone. It takes every moving part to make it work. In the same way that an organization needs each of its members, people in and around one's personal life need other people too to help them fulfill their highest dreams and aspirations.
I've also observed this evening how much my husband and I depend on each other for laughter, strength, and overall wellness. Sometimes we need to reach out to each other, even if we don't realize that we need to. It takes that initial invitation to talk and to be a listener. And, I value that so much. What would he do without that person in his life to really listen, understand, and care so much? Furthermore, I value just as much my friendships and family relationships. It's easy to take for granted sometimes, especially in the age of social media, that I will always have someone to reach out to. But, we need to be careful about that. We all know that we can be friends with hundreds of people online, but what happens in a real time of need? You need someone to trust. You need someone to listen and bounce ideas off of. Sometimes, those people don't come very easily, and you have to work to foster those relationships. Sometimes, it's not very easy for some people to do the work. Whether they battle shyness, extensive work schedules, alcoholism or drug abuse, physical disabilities that keep them bedridden, many people may not be able to have the resources to get out there and build these important relationships.
If organizations depend upon its members to operate, if husbands and wives depend upon each other for love and support, and if one relies on friends and family to care and share, then it is obvious that as humans, we need others to help us feel fulfilled, loved, and strengthened through our ups and downs.
I'm imagining now the people who don't have that person... one person to
reach out to when they're in need. How isolating! How lonely and
frightful! The sheer thought of such loneliness calls to mind a sense
of desperation. This seems to me now where the calling of sacrifice comes in for those of us who are
fortunate enough to have a strong web of relationships upon which one
can always rely. It's easy to donate money or canned goods, but wow, it is difficult to donate one's time! Taking two hours of one's very busy and regimented schedule to visit a lonely stranger in a long term care facility seems like a joke. How can one possible fit that in too? It's a decision. It's a sacrifice. You simply come home two hours earlier from the bar on Friday night, wake up two hours earlier on Saturday and just do it! Connection to others is almost as vital as food, clothing, & shelter. Imagine the overwhelming relief and sense of connection a person who never receives a visitor would feel with even one visit...one phone call! You could really impact that person's life.
There are many ways to reach out, to share, and to care. It's time to make the decision to put them in action. Tonight, I'll pray for all the lonely people in the world and for strength to make the sacrifice to reach out in a new and different way.
Recap - Observe quietly. How can you reach out, extend an invitation, care, and share?
1. Never take your relationships for granted.
2. We need others to help us feel fulfilled, loved, and strengthened.
3. Make a conscious decision to reach out to those most in need of a connection.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Advent: Tuesday, First Week
November 29, 2011
Today's Advent act is to ponder children, find Jesus in their faces, and find some way to love a child. Well, one thing I know is that in no way did I interact with any children, although it felt like it at times in my office! :) However, I find myself thinking often of my upcoming career teaching early elementary students. I absolutely cannot wait to get into the classroom and teach! I love the way children are so eager to learn. They are fearless and just absorb the world around them like sponges. One of my favorite feelings of joy is when I see something click in the mind of one I am teaching. And then, watching them put that new skill into practice.
Children need so much love, attention, and guidance. What a selfless act it is to be a parent, guardian, or mentor to a child! You must completely forget yourself and your own desires in order to ensure your child has what he or she needs to survive, to be successful, and to make good decisions. They depend so much on the older people in their lives to show them the right way to live. That puts a lot of pressure on the older people because the reality of the daily grind sometimes gets the best of us. (I count myself in the older people crowd now, I suppose.) Thinking about Sunday's post on finding Jesus, I realize that it's a double whammy when I not only have to seek and find Jesus for myself, but also have to teach the children in my life how to. It's not just a challenge, but an honor to pass on such a hopeful and peaceful message to a child who will eventually grow up in an oftentimes harsh and cruel world.
It's really not hard for me to find Jesus in the faces of children. It's definitely one of the easier ways to seek and find Jesus in my life. For one, the children in my family are unspeakably the perfect image of God and His creation. I absolutely cannot imagine any more perfect creatures in the world than them, despite the occasional temper tantrums (at which I try to hide my laughter) or attitudes (at which I patiently attempt to encourage some discipline). Outside of my family, whenever I see children in strollers or walking with their parents throughout the city, I do smile to myself. They're such little people with such big dreams and aspirations... you can see it in the way they try to emulate their parents or in the way they look around and try to understand the world around them. There is so much potential in them! I suppose it's easy to get through my life and just pray and hope that the next generation will do a better job than we can. Isn't that the curse (or blessing?) of every generation?
While I did not get to spend time with any children today, I look forward to spending more time with my nephews this weekend. And, since I don't plan to be around any children until then, I'm going honor them by donating to New Orleans Children's Hospital, the place that healed my heart when I was a baby. Everyday, the doctors, nurses, and staff provide love and care to sick children. I'll pray for them tonight as well as for all those who care for children -- parents, guardians, teachers, family members, doctors, emergency service providers, daycare facilitators, summer camp counselors, and all those who devote their lives to the welfare of children in the world.
Recap - Ponder children, find Jesus in their faces, and love a child.
1. Children need guidance and example from us.
2. Children provide us with a beautiful expression of Jesus as human.
3. Take time and resources to remember and love children and to put them first.
DONATE TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, NEW ORLEANS: http://www.chnola.org/PageDisplay.asp?p1=4289
PS: My "Advent Acts" have and will come from a lovely little book entitled Joyous Expectations: Journeying through Advent with Mary by M. Jean Frisk, copyright 2005.
Today's Advent act is to ponder children, find Jesus in their faces, and find some way to love a child. Well, one thing I know is that in no way did I interact with any children, although it felt like it at times in my office! :) However, I find myself thinking often of my upcoming career teaching early elementary students. I absolutely cannot wait to get into the classroom and teach! I love the way children are so eager to learn. They are fearless and just absorb the world around them like sponges. One of my favorite feelings of joy is when I see something click in the mind of one I am teaching. And then, watching them put that new skill into practice.
Children need so much love, attention, and guidance. What a selfless act it is to be a parent, guardian, or mentor to a child! You must completely forget yourself and your own desires in order to ensure your child has what he or she needs to survive, to be successful, and to make good decisions. They depend so much on the older people in their lives to show them the right way to live. That puts a lot of pressure on the older people because the reality of the daily grind sometimes gets the best of us. (I count myself in the older people crowd now, I suppose.) Thinking about Sunday's post on finding Jesus, I realize that it's a double whammy when I not only have to seek and find Jesus for myself, but also have to teach the children in my life how to. It's not just a challenge, but an honor to pass on such a hopeful and peaceful message to a child who will eventually grow up in an oftentimes harsh and cruel world.
It's really not hard for me to find Jesus in the faces of children. It's definitely one of the easier ways to seek and find Jesus in my life. For one, the children in my family are unspeakably the perfect image of God and His creation. I absolutely cannot imagine any more perfect creatures in the world than them, despite the occasional temper tantrums (at which I try to hide my laughter) or attitudes (at which I patiently attempt to encourage some discipline). Outside of my family, whenever I see children in strollers or walking with their parents throughout the city, I do smile to myself. They're such little people with such big dreams and aspirations... you can see it in the way they try to emulate their parents or in the way they look around and try to understand the world around them. There is so much potential in them! I suppose it's easy to get through my life and just pray and hope that the next generation will do a better job than we can. Isn't that the curse (or blessing?) of every generation?
While I did not get to spend time with any children today, I look forward to spending more time with my nephews this weekend. And, since I don't plan to be around any children until then, I'm going honor them by donating to New Orleans Children's Hospital, the place that healed my heart when I was a baby. Everyday, the doctors, nurses, and staff provide love and care to sick children. I'll pray for them tonight as well as for all those who care for children -- parents, guardians, teachers, family members, doctors, emergency service providers, daycare facilitators, summer camp counselors, and all those who devote their lives to the welfare of children in the world.
Recap - Ponder children, find Jesus in their faces, and love a child.
1. Children need guidance and example from us.
2. Children provide us with a beautiful expression of Jesus as human.
3. Take time and resources to remember and love children and to put them first.
DONATE TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, NEW ORLEANS: http://www.chnola.org/PageDisplay.asp?p1=4289
BONUS: The Jesse Tree - http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/jessetree.html
PS: My "Advent Acts" have and will come from a lovely little book entitled Joyous Expectations: Journeying through Advent with Mary by M. Jean Frisk, copyright 2005.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Advent: Monday, First Week
November 28, 2011
Today's Advent act is as follows:
Once I'm at work, I suppose the gift I give is my contribution to my company. I try to be responsible, patience, and respectful, and I hope that I lead by example. Likewise, several people in my company inspire me daily with new ways of thinking and coach me with ways I can develop my skills and potential even more. It is a great gift to be part of such a team! After work, I headed to Dress Barn to get a dress for my brother's wedding this weekend. I ended up with four dresses (...and a coverup, some earrings, and a purse). I'm thankful for the wonderful lady named Maria who worked there. She was extremely accommodating and polite, and she called me by my name throughout my shopping experience there. That's something I could add to my list of gifts for others! I'm thankful as well for the relatively inexpensive yet quality selection at Dress Barn. :) I appreciate the people who made the fabric and dresses. So, I'll pray for those people today as well as Maria (and the other lady too, who rang me up and was not particularly as courteous...)
I made my way home for usual evening -- but Mondays at the Pitre household can only mean one thing: BILL NIGHT!! Oh yeah. So, I'm thankful for the people at HelloWallet.com who have created a fantastic cloud application for home finance management. I'm sad Quicken doesn't keep up with Macs, but maybe the change to HelloWallet is good for me. My gift to them, I suppose, is my support and my monthly subscription fee. This Monday night is special too because the Saints game is on in the background. Thank you Saints for playing an awesome game tonight! We are 10 minutes away from winning! Oh, and a lovely gift I received from my husband tonight as well was the dinner he made... or plated... for me. :) Granted, he took the leftovers from the container and warmed them up on a plate, but it was really sweet of him since that's normally my job. I was almost overly excited about it! It probably made my day. :)
Obviously, I'm avoiding any thought process about Christmas gifts because I'm starting to feel the shopping paralysis. I like the way this reflection forces me, though, to think about it. Why we give and receive gifts at Christmas. This year, I really want to put some good thought into my gifts so that people who are anticipating them are pleasantly surprised. I want to support civilly responsible individuals and organizations, and I want to be generous with my gifts to people who love, support, and serve me throughout the year. As I'm purchasing my gifts this year, I will try to remember and pray for those who created the gifts I will give to others and receive from others.
Recap: Think of gifts you will give and receive, and pray for the makers of those gifts.
1. Smile at people.
2. Try to remember people's names and call them by it.
3. Be generous with prayers and giving to those who love, support, serve, and give to you.
BONUS: Be even MORE generous to those who aren't so supportive.
Today's Advent act is as follows:
Today use the time going from one place to another to wander as Mary wandered. Think of gifts you will give and receive. Often each gift has parts and packaging. From beginning to end, from raw materials to assembly, think of the hands, from all the nations, that made your gifts. Pray for the makers of the gifts you intend to give and those you will receive.My path today was: home to work to Dress Barn to home. That's it. So, maybe I can ponder those trips from place to place. This morning, a gift I received from my husband is just having him in my life! :) He was here today when I woke up, so that is always a special blessing. Likewise, he receives the same from me. Heading to work, I listen to the Catholic channel. This is a great gift for me because it wakes my brain up with interesting perspectives and food for thought. I don't think I give any gifts on my way to work, but maybe I could try to at least smile at a fruit stand vendor once in a while.
Once I'm at work, I suppose the gift I give is my contribution to my company. I try to be responsible, patience, and respectful, and I hope that I lead by example. Likewise, several people in my company inspire me daily with new ways of thinking and coach me with ways I can develop my skills and potential even more. It is a great gift to be part of such a team! After work, I headed to Dress Barn to get a dress for my brother's wedding this weekend. I ended up with four dresses (...and a coverup, some earrings, and a purse). I'm thankful for the wonderful lady named Maria who worked there. She was extremely accommodating and polite, and she called me by my name throughout my shopping experience there. That's something I could add to my list of gifts for others! I'm thankful as well for the relatively inexpensive yet quality selection at Dress Barn. :) I appreciate the people who made the fabric and dresses. So, I'll pray for those people today as well as Maria (and the other lady too, who rang me up and was not particularly as courteous...)
I made my way home for usual evening -- but Mondays at the Pitre household can only mean one thing: BILL NIGHT!! Oh yeah. So, I'm thankful for the people at HelloWallet.com who have created a fantastic cloud application for home finance management. I'm sad Quicken doesn't keep up with Macs, but maybe the change to HelloWallet is good for me. My gift to them, I suppose, is my support and my monthly subscription fee. This Monday night is special too because the Saints game is on in the background. Thank you Saints for playing an awesome game tonight! We are 10 minutes away from winning! Oh, and a lovely gift I received from my husband tonight as well was the dinner he made... or plated... for me. :) Granted, he took the leftovers from the container and warmed them up on a plate, but it was really sweet of him since that's normally my job. I was almost overly excited about it! It probably made my day. :)
Obviously, I'm avoiding any thought process about Christmas gifts because I'm starting to feel the shopping paralysis. I like the way this reflection forces me, though, to think about it. Why we give and receive gifts at Christmas. This year, I really want to put some good thought into my gifts so that people who are anticipating them are pleasantly surprised. I want to support civilly responsible individuals and organizations, and I want to be generous with my gifts to people who love, support, and serve me throughout the year. As I'm purchasing my gifts this year, I will try to remember and pray for those who created the gifts I will give to others and receive from others.
Recap: Think of gifts you will give and receive, and pray for the makers of those gifts.
1. Smile at people.
2. Try to remember people's names and call them by it.
3. Be generous with prayers and giving to those who love, support, serve, and give to you.
BONUS: Be even MORE generous to those who aren't so supportive.
Advent: Sunday, First Week
November 27, 2011
Today's Advent act is to "foster the desire to seek and find Jesus." During Advent, we should be anticipating Jesus' arrival with a joyful, almost childlike, eagerness. Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the year, and I think it's because I enjoy that anticipation of Jesus' birthday. I look forward to the symbolic traditions of the season: special prayers and readings, the Advent wreath and candles that are lit one by one, even the change in the weather (though not TOO much change!)
What can I do to seek and find Jesus, especially during Advent? How do I make myself want to? I think that purposefully taking the time out of the day to read, reflect, pray, and even talk to someone about their reflections really helps to bring Jesus to the forefront of my life. However, it's easier said than done - and for me, living in Manhattan doesn't make it any easier. First, I have to make the time. Though, I find that once I do quiet myself and get into the zone, I'm really happy that I did. It ends up being a necessity of my day, not a luxurious self indulgence. For example, just sitting and writing this blog entry gets me thinking about how I need seek and find Jesus. So first, I've decided... I need to make the time. I need to allow myself some quiet moments in the day to reflect.
Next, I need to also remember that Jesus is not only found in the quiet moments of my day, but the noisy and busy ones as well. This is when it's the hardest for me to remember to keep him front of mind. So, what do I do when I'm stressed out walking down the sickeningly loud Manhattan streets, assisting one of my employees with a client issue, or rushing to JFK on Friday afternoon for a happy-go-lucky flight home to New Orleans? I think this is where my (well-developed) patience kicks in. This is where I try really hard not to turn around and grimace at a person who won't stay to the right on the sidewalk and runs me out the way. Or, at the office when I've got 10 things on my plate and once with emails rolling in, and I smile and breathe through it and give my employee the guidance she needs and deserves. Maybe that's something I've gotten down pat so far. Maybe I am seeking and finding Jesus in my difficult moments when my patience is tested. I have fostered this desire through much practice, I believe, and maybe I've realized that it actually works. So, I suppose I rely on Jesus a lot in my times of stress. Well, that solves that issues. Now, we're left with the fun times of my day!
When I make it to JFK and hit the bar, my mind is so far away from Jesus. Life is good! I'm not particularly sad or hurting or in need. This is where I need to exercise my desire to seek and find him in the joyful moments of my life. I need to remember that not only does he console the hurting, but he also enables us to share in joy, peace, and happiness! I think that next time I am feeling particularly happy, I'm going to make a specific point to remember Jesus and to find his blessing in those good moments. If I am healed in my quiet moments and in my bad moments, imagine the surplus of healing and happiness I would feel in my good moments! :)
Recap - Foster the desire to seek and find Jesus.
1. Make quiet time for reflection.
2. Embrace patience and ask Jesus for help in difficult moments.
3. Embrace joyfulness and thank Jesus for his blessings.
Today's Advent act is to "foster the desire to seek and find Jesus." During Advent, we should be anticipating Jesus' arrival with a joyful, almost childlike, eagerness. Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the year, and I think it's because I enjoy that anticipation of Jesus' birthday. I look forward to the symbolic traditions of the season: special prayers and readings, the Advent wreath and candles that are lit one by one, even the change in the weather (though not TOO much change!)
What can I do to seek and find Jesus, especially during Advent? How do I make myself want to? I think that purposefully taking the time out of the day to read, reflect, pray, and even talk to someone about their reflections really helps to bring Jesus to the forefront of my life. However, it's easier said than done - and for me, living in Manhattan doesn't make it any easier. First, I have to make the time. Though, I find that once I do quiet myself and get into the zone, I'm really happy that I did. It ends up being a necessity of my day, not a luxurious self indulgence. For example, just sitting and writing this blog entry gets me thinking about how I need seek and find Jesus. So first, I've decided... I need to make the time. I need to allow myself some quiet moments in the day to reflect.
Next, I need to also remember that Jesus is not only found in the quiet moments of my day, but the noisy and busy ones as well. This is when it's the hardest for me to remember to keep him front of mind. So, what do I do when I'm stressed out walking down the sickeningly loud Manhattan streets, assisting one of my employees with a client issue, or rushing to JFK on Friday afternoon for a happy-go-lucky flight home to New Orleans? I think this is where my (well-developed) patience kicks in. This is where I try really hard not to turn around and grimace at a person who won't stay to the right on the sidewalk and runs me out the way. Or, at the office when I've got 10 things on my plate and once with emails rolling in, and I smile and breathe through it and give my employee the guidance she needs and deserves. Maybe that's something I've gotten down pat so far. Maybe I am seeking and finding Jesus in my difficult moments when my patience is tested. I have fostered this desire through much practice, I believe, and maybe I've realized that it actually works. So, I suppose I rely on Jesus a lot in my times of stress. Well, that solves that issues. Now, we're left with the fun times of my day!
When I make it to JFK and hit the bar, my mind is so far away from Jesus. Life is good! I'm not particularly sad or hurting or in need. This is where I need to exercise my desire to seek and find him in the joyful moments of my life. I need to remember that not only does he console the hurting, but he also enables us to share in joy, peace, and happiness! I think that next time I am feeling particularly happy, I'm going to make a specific point to remember Jesus and to find his blessing in those good moments. If I am healed in my quiet moments and in my bad moments, imagine the surplus of healing and happiness I would feel in my good moments! :)
Recap - Foster the desire to seek and find Jesus.
1. Make quiet time for reflection.
2. Embrace patience and ask Jesus for help in difficult moments.
3. Embrace joyfulness and thank Jesus for his blessings.
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