Spiritual Sunday

I started my day today by attending the Spanish Mass at my church. I hadn't done that in quite some time since grad school began. It felt great to see my parish community and to listen to mass given by a new priest in our parish. He seems like a humble man and I am looking forward to getting to know him better.

So that afternoon my friend came over and we headed over to Barnes and Nobles for some quality time and inspiration. She told me how much she is enjoying her new job and all the exciting things that are happening in her life. She also mentioned that in the midst of it all she feels like she is not doing something to help others. Her job isn't necessarily in the helping field but in our conversation she mentioned painting her co-workers nails. She added that she has taken upon herself to paint women's nails at work. All I can think about was Jesus washing his disciples feet. I shared it with her and told her that what she was doing was a form of empowerment for women and that it was a great start.

At Barnes and Nobles we picked out a zillion magazines and sat in one of the corners of the store. We both took some photos of some things that stood out for us. I was really happy we spent that quality time together, but it wasn't over after that. That evening we went to my apartment and got dressed and ready to go to a live jazz show at Birdland in Manhattan. Her husband met us there and we enjoyed a really great show by Arthur O'Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. It was a really great show, its amazing how moving live music can be and anything with Latin Percussion in it makes me want to get up and dance! It wasn't a dancing kind of place but I was moving my shoulders and tapping my fingers to the beat : )

Here are some inspiring photos of today (all taken from magazines):

Let the inspiration begin....

I'd say the year started off pretty inspiring. Receiving the gift of the holy spirit was a great way to start the year(see Jan 3rd post). Just the other day I received another gift in the mail from someone very special. It was a beautiful inspirational bracelet. It was quite a pleasant surprise.

At the beginning of the year I was a bit tormented about a decision I had to make regarding my church. I spoke to several close people and they all told me the same thing but I was not convinced in my heart. Then out of the blue someone that I least expected and that I was not anticipating bringing it up with completely inspired me to continue my spiritual journey. God always works in mysterious ways. I pray that I am doing God's will.

As a result, I attended the orientation for the Lay Ministry program today. They pretty much gave us the break down of how the year is going to go. At the orientation there was a table full of different kinds of books for us to take and give a small donation if possible. I picked out five books but shared two of them with my friend who came a little later when most of the books were gone. We were both very excited about the books. One in particular I have begun to read and it has pretty much laid out to me the very idea of being in tune with the divine on a daily basis. Here are some of the quotes that stuck out from me from the book which is called The Song of Seed:

The right seed touching the right secret can produce an abundance of new life. Your task during this retreat, then, is to tend the soil of your

soul that it may be a place where the seed can bear fruit.

A loving attentiveness is the finest gift you have to offer the one who is sharing

And the very best advise I have to give you is a Native American Saying: Listen, or your tongue will keep you deaf!

I am looking forward to continuing reading the book and perhaps

sharing some more inspirational quotes from the book here. After the orientation I went to lunch with my friend Angie who is taking the courses with me. We had a really great conversation about the need of spiritual mentors in our lives. I wonder if people around us were inspired by our conversation because it was deep and spiritual. In fact, talking with her made me realize that I just have to take a deeper look at my daily happenings because God is in everything. She also gave me some really great tips on how to have an interfaith dialogue with people from different religions. Basically to talk about how our religious/spiritual backgrounds have inspired our lives. How God has worked in each of our lives through our religion. She made it sound very easy. I hope she was inspired by our conversation as I was.

Word of the year: INSPIRATION

I remember always having my list of new year resolutions ready before the year was over. My lists were always long and I remember posting it nearby so I can remember the things I wanted to do. Anyhow as the years have gone by the list has gotten smaller. Not so much because I can't come up with any resolutions but because I feel like the list is completely overrated. I'm not sure if this was the first place I saw it, but in Eat, Pray, Love the movie Julia Roberts picks a word to describe her year. I don't remember what word that was but I find that to be a much simpler way to change our focus for a fresh, new year. Before the year was over I was deeply longing for inspiration. I feel like I have been longing for it for quite some time. So I decided that was going to be my word for the year: INSPIRATION.

So every morning before I get up I thank God for a brand new year and pray for inspiration. I chose the word inspiration not only because it has been whispering in my heart, soul, and spirit for quite some time, but because the word inspire means that an action has taken place as a result of the process of being inspired. I remember when I was an undergrad I used to be in poetry and spoken word circles. I was always in awe to hear some of these young folks express themselves through words. I remember one evening at home I watched the movie Piñero and I remember getting on my computer right after and writing what I was feeling at the moment. The next morning when I read what I wrote I couldn't believe I had written such a deep and meaningful poem. After that day I continued to write poetry and it lasted for maybe a few months. I don't know what it was about that time but I was on fire. I want to be on fire like that about everything. I want everything that I do to be deep and meaningful like I know it can be. I want to be able to find that inspiration in my daily life and make it last.

the spirit of learning

I truly am grateful for today’s daily word (below). It makes me think about how we are capable of learning so many things on our own. This society tends to make us think we need to go back to school or we need to spend money to learn something new. Meanwhile we possess the spirit of learning within. It takes a lot of self-discipline to learn something on our own but it is truly possible. For example, I remember I once wanted to go to cooking school. No so much because I wanted to make a career out of it, it was just because I wanted to learn the basics. Thankfully I never spent the money to go to school, and learned the basics and beyond on my own. I have a few recipes under my belt and the more I cook the more I realize its not that difficult to follow a recipe. I talk about cooking because I feel that its such an important skill to know. Cooking at home with fresh ingredients is better for our bodies than constantly eating out. Just yesterday I was having a conversation with my sweet mother about food. I was giving her alternatives to satisfying her sweet tooth. She buys certain things thinking they are healthy. For example, Arizona Iced Tea has tons of sugar in it. She buys it thinking she is choosing a healthier alternative juice. I told her to try crystal light instead. She says she loves eating crackers, I told her to look for the boxes that say low sodium or to try veggie crackers. I also know that she shops at the Spanish grocery store that does not often have healthy alternatives. I told her to check out Aldi’s because they tend to have healthier alternatives to snacks. Its difficult to teach ourselves new habits but its worth it to stay in good health and feel good.

This year marks one whole year that I quit drinking coffee and trained myself to drink herbal teas. I remember I was diagnosed with IBS in the beginning of the year and I knew I had to eliminate certain things from my diet. I began with caffeine and realized that was a HUGE reason for my condition. I haven’t had an IBS flare up in a while and I can eat whatever I choose as long as I have my green tea in the morning or something that has fiber like granola cereal or oatmeal. I am grateful to God for allowing me to make this drastic change in my life. I had been drinking coffee since I was very young and never thought I would be able to eliminate it from my diet, but thankfully I did.

In the spirit of learning, I would like to teach myself how to paint and how to combine paint with collaging. Even with collaging, I know I can do it and I know I enjoy it but I just cannot bring myself to do it. For example, a day like today I have time to do collaging but I have something fighting against me and I don’t know what it is. I pray to the Lord to help me push through these feelings of inadequacy or whatever it is so that I can get inspired to create the pieces of art that are waiting to be created.

LEARN

I am in tune with infinite intelligence.

Whether I am a student trying to comprehend a textbook, an employee learning the requirements of a new job, or a fledgling driver learning to drive a car, I remember there is only one Mind--Divine Mind--and this Mind is in all.

Whatever I may be learning, the process is easier and simpler if I remember that Divine Mind gives me the power to learn and comprehend. I find it easy to learn new things when I keep myself in tune with infinite intelligence.

I am lifted out of fear and tension as I attune myself with Divine Mind. I am free from any feeling of inadequacy. God's Spirit of success is within me, and I am capable of succeeding at whatever I choose to learn.

We have the mind of Christ.--1 Corinthians 2:16

-message from www.dailyword.com January 3, 2012

to inspire or to be inspired

I was woken up today by a message of inspiration. This was very meaningful to me because the only resolution that has been on my mind for a few days now is to be inspired. From the 365 days in a year, I think about the few days within where I feel so inspired that I create something of substance. For instance, I don't write poetry often but once in a blue moon I get inspired by a story, a message, a photo or something that makes my spirit flow into words. I also think about the times that I have been so moved, that tears overflow my eyes. Or even times when I actually write a blog entry. I am constantly longing for those moments of inspiration to happen more often in my life. In fact, I try really hard to be aware of those days when I am inspired..I pray to God to help me hold on to that particular day.

Perhaps it is I who fall short of seeing the inspiration each day brings. Maybe it is I who don't often pay attention to the inspiration that is constantly present. I find that I often depend on others to inspire me. For instance, when I attend mass on sundays I expect to be inspired by the message or the homily that the priest provides. When I am in groups I expect for others to take initiative. When I am in a classroom I expect for the teachers to teach me something. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, however we also have to seek inspiration from places that we least expect and people that we perhaps least expect it from. We also have to be aware that sometimes we are the inspiration. The Holy Spirit moves through all things great and small.

This holiday season I received many physical gifts from loved ones. I received a bright bubbly vest, a grizzly bear scarf and boots for the winter season. I received a beautiful scarf that was hand made by my beautiful best friend. One gift in particular came from Diego's dad and step-mom. It was a silver chain with a charm of a dove. When I opened it the first thing I thought about was the Holy Spirit. While I don't think that is the way the apostles received the holy spirit in their time. I'd like to believe that this was a reminder that the Holy Spirit is constantly present in me and just in case I forget I can carry physical evidence of it wherever I go.

The message I received today that I referred to in the beginning came in an e-mail that Oprah sent to all of her friends and in it she mentioned a scripture passage in the Book of Acts, "In God I Move and Breath and have my Being" Acts 17:28. This Book is what I wrote my last paper on for my course in the New Testament. I had to write about the impact the Holy Spirit's coming had on the disciples. I also had to explain how the salvation of the world is a collaborative effort in which aided by the Holy Spirit we help Jesus through our daily living. I was inspired to read more on the Acts of the Apostles.

So, I took some time today to read all the way through Chapter 17 and have tons of questions. However, here are some of the scripture lines that stood out for me:

"they would sell their property and possesses and divide them among all according to each one's need" Acts 2:45

"And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, as you stretch forth (your) and to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus." Acts 4:29-30

"The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claims that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common." Acts 4:32

"So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor of this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God." Acts 5:38

"But the Lord said to him, "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." Acts 7:33

"Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands." Acts 7:48

"The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not swell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor i she served y human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything." Acts 17:24-25

"For 'in him we live and move and have our being', as even some of your poets have said, For we too are his offspring." Acts 17:28

In the spirit of the new year I ask for all those things we all hope for such as good health, love, happiness, and prosperity among other things. However as a self-inspired resolution I simply ask to be open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in my daily life, to be aware of it, and to put it into action to inspire others.

Happy 2012.

A Creative Genius

Today when I opened up my macbook at home in the evening I was shocked at what I saw. Steve Jobs has passed on to a better place. My heart is heavy at this news, and it really comes at an interesting time for me. As I contemplate on the passion, strength, perseverance, creativity, talent, inspiration and dedication of this gentleman, it makes me wonder what could be of each one of us if we pushed the envelope of our creativity. I wonder what would happen if we valued things like originality and non-conformist attitudes. I call it listening to your holy spirit within, though for many it could be just following your heart, or your strong creative drive or desires. Whatever it may be I know that it is a possibility for all of us. I know there is a time in each of our lives where we fill that pull to make a change. That time in our lives where we know we can be part of something greater. Its so great that we cannot even wrap our heads around it.

The idea that Steve Jobs kept working hard at what he believed in, no matter what the setback, is a true testimony of the qualities we need to make our dreams come true. It all starts with a dream or a vision, that deep sense of possibility. It takes moving into the direction of your dream/vision, step by step at paces so small that at those very moments you are taking them, the big dream seems far, far away. But you never lose hope, because you believe in something greater than what you can fit in that mind that can sometimes fail to lend support. You push through with perseverance and do not let time that has passed hinder your dream/vision. Before you know it your vision becomes a reality and all the time that has passed does not even matter because your vision has changed the world.

I think the life of Steve Jobs was very short, though he himself may have felt like he was old. His legacy will definitely continue to live on, and those he mentored will continue to do his work. As the young leaders of the next generation, I believe we have an obligation to do what we came here for. We all have the potential to push the envelope of our creativity and possibilities. We all have something unique to bring to the table just like Steve Jobs did and all those people he mentored throughout his life do.

Not only will Apple go down in history and continue to innovate itself. Pixar animation studios was also a brilliant invention. Pixar movies have been some of my favorites since they came out. The idea that the person behind movies like "Monsters Inc, Ratatouille, and Up" will no longer make more movies leaves me with a heavy heart. I have faith, though, that the team he mentored will continue to do the great work that he did.

R. I. P Steve Jobs.

"God made us in His image..." Genesis 1:27

Pray, Learn, and Love

I have officially quit my job to become a full-time graduate student. Its a bit nerve wrecking but a dream come true. This past Friday was my last day at work. I was a bit emotionally overwhelmed by all the farewell lunches, dinners, hugs, and my friend and former co-worker even baked me cookies with a school bus on them. I am really grateful for the time I spent at Mendes. It is now time to begin a new adventure with God.

I will be attending the brand new Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College for clinical studies with individuals and families. The volunteer work I've been doing for a year with trauma survivors has been just a glimpse of the work that lies ahead for me. It has paved the way for my new journey. I pray to God for guidance, compassion, strength, wisdom and all those beautiful gifts of the holy spirit. I pray that I can be an instrument of His peace. I pray for the motivation and perseverance to immerse myself in my studies. I also pray to be able to enjoy it one day at a time...praying, learning, and loving.