I’m a pretty positive person generally (or so I’m told) however, some days I find myself making excuses for, well, EVERYTHING!:
I need to exercise… BUT I am so tired. I want to get healthy… BUT that refrigerator keeps calling my name! I want to spend more quality time with my husband…BUT I can’t seem to manage my schedule more efficiently. Recently, I began take a closer look at my ‘but.’ Now, every time I feel tempted to complain “BUT I…,” I replace it with BUT God. That’s led me to google some scripture which has encouraged me and is allowing me to be more and more focused on God’s truths. It’s been working for me so I thought I’d share it with you. I pray that it blesses you too! Genesis 8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Genesis 31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you. Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 1 Samuel 23:14 David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. 1 Kings 5:4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them. Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Jonah 2:6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God. Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known. Acts 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Acts 3:15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. Acts 5:39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. 1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 2 Timothy 2:9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.
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They say that confession is good for the soul so let me start this blog with a confession. When the Jubilee Year of Mercy was announced in 2015, my first reaction was, “A year of mercy?! Why not a life of mercy?!” I simply couldn’t understand why we wanted to place the focus on one year rather than making life-long changes. Oh, and the fact that we began to rehash terms like ‘plenary indulgences’ didn’t bolster my confidence either [but that’s for another time]. My discomfort with the whole idea continued all the way up to Christmas, and while our community was invited to participate in the Jubilee Year of Mercy Mass for Families and we agreed to attend, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the church’s hierarchy had missed a valuable opportunity for the more permanent changes that we so desperately need if we are to truly and sincerely qualify as ‘followers of Christ.’ Well God knows what’s in my heart and by the end of the mass I must admit that I recognized why a year of mercy is so important. As I looked around the Cathedral while waiting for the mass to begin, it occurred to me that we had all stopped whatever we were doing - at Christmas no less - to assemble, to focus, to reflect, and to pray. It was then that I began to understand the genius behind the concept of a year of mercy. In that moment, I began to reflect on the fact that given our schedules it’s become difficult to commit long-term to most things. We’ve become so busy that more often than not, it feels like we’re unable to collectively give any real attention to things that are truly important. Even when we ‘pause’ at Christmastime for instance; if we’re truly honest with ourselves, many of us [myself included] can admit that we haven’t spared a moment to reflect on the significance of the coming of Jesus in the Season of Advent. It’s ‘the thing’ that we pass through to get to Christmas! And that’s just one example. So what stops us collectively? Very few things. Weddings. Funerals. Possibly milestone birthdays. That’s it basically. The truth is that we’ve become so busy that we’re no longer either willing or able to come together as community, as church or even as family for that matter! At the cathedral, in that moment, I discovered that this is PRECISELY the reason why the Jubilee [in this case] of Mercy is so important. It’s given us an opportunity to reflect on one specific – and dare I say important - aspect of our lives for a period of time with the hope that the emphasis that’s placed on this issue mushrooms into a permanent reality. Stopping and focusing on all the ways we may have not been compassionate or forgiving in our relationships increases our chance for growth and as we grow as individuals we know that our families, our community and our society benefits. One of the core values in our community is REAL GROWTH. Why REAL GROWTH? Because we’ve recognized that too often we don’t take the time to work out our issues to the end. A quick fix is what we know and is what’s comfortable so that what results is superficial growth [and believe me you’ll know once it’s tested]! But isn’t what we desire permanent, positive change aka REAL GROWTH in our lives and the lives of others who we love and care for? We all know it but it’s difficult to do it. It’s critical that we stop, take the time and truly reflect on this aspect of our lives and DO THE WORK to address what’s ailing us. Truth is, this opportunity to engage in a focus on mercy along with others is what makes this Year of Mercy so unique, so valuable. If we’re all focused on the same issues at the same time then we stand a much better chance of being able to initiate the dialogue that will help us to grow. And by us I mean ALL of us as church. And we can’t deny that we need that, right? I think we’re on to something! Small steps. Growing together as family, as community and as church. The good news [pardon the pun] is that it’s not too late. If you haven’t been able to take up the challenge to date, we still have six months left. And a lot can be accomplished in six months! I hope that you’ll take the time to join me every first Sunday of the month [of course I’ve strategically chosen Sundays!] It’s a date? Good! Be blessed! Author: CHARMION TOUSSAINT LEE WING-GOMES
Over the next 6 months we’ll be focusing on family life, specifically in the context of the Year of Mercy which began on the 8th December last year and will end on the 20th November 2016. First, we’ll take a brief look at why the Year of Mercy is important for us as Church and attempt to make sense of terms like ‘indulgences’! Next, I’ll discuss why I think that this is a wonderful opportunity for healing the wounds [both superficial and deep] often created in the day-to-day experience of this gift called family [I understand that for many people this goes beyond blood relatives]. Finally, we’ll look at some of the ways that we might accomplish this. I hope that you’ll join me on this journey! Be blessed! |
AuthorCharmion Lee Wing-Gomes is a Co-Founder and Director of Jubilee. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology from the University of the West Indies. She is a wife and mother of four: two boys and two girls. Archives |